New strains of flu tax antibiotics to which they are immune. Religious fundamentalism, anticipating the millennium, causes turmoil from Sri Lanka to Northern Ireland, from Waco to the Middle East. The demise of the Soviet Union increases the risk of a nuclear mistake. The expansion of powers armed with nuclear weapons raises the threat of a terrorist bomb. Global warming is still a theory, not an established fact, but the signs are ominous.
World population continues to rise, even as a few countries move toward zero growth.
Internal specialists have attacked these risks for years, but separately, not together. Hedgers and credit managers address financial and market risks. Lawyers and compliance officers treat regulatory and political risks. Insurance buyers finance operational and liability risks. Security specialists, occupational safety and health advisors, environmental engineers and contingency and crisis management planners all work individually toward balancing risks and rewards.