Al Gore coined by analogy to the US interstate highway system. The risk here is that these semantical magic tricks may in the end deprive the public of the information infrastructure they deserve. Maybe even BurmaShave signs scattering doggerel poetry along the way for the oldtimers. Risks that seem unfairly shared are also seen as more hazardous. Risks that people can take steps to control are more acceptable than those they feel are beyond their means to control.
Natural risks are less threatening than man-made ones.
Risks that are associated with catastrophes are especially frightening. Risks from exotic technologies cause more dread than do those involving familiar ones. The article reports a spectrum of views about the best explanation of these results and the best policies to deal with them. People are irrational, so forget 'em. People are irrational, but we can persuade them.