ENVS 1100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Precautionary Principle, Wingspread
13 Apr 2016
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Document Summary
Probability of risk (how likely is the event?) Consequences of risk (what is the likely damage?) Cost-benefit analysis (do the benefits outweigh the costs of regulations?) Risk-benefit analysis (do the environmental/heath benefits outweigh the environmental/health risks?) Most people tend to be risk-prose; will reject a gamble in the face of a sure gain. Most people tend to be risk-prone; will gamble rather than accept a sure loss. False comfort: we"re all better than average drivers, more careful than most when using power tools and less likely to suffer from medical problems. Example: coal-generated electricity costs 10,000 lives per year, yet 80% of americans think coal burning is safer than nuclear power so coal plants are built instead of nuclear. Nuclear is viewed as involuntary, unknown, fatal, fearful and dreadful. Automobiles kill far more people every year. Some risks are unknown, and the qualification may even be beyond the ability of science. Easier to prevent something rather than fix it afterwards.
