In the chamber of risks
Subtitle: understanding risk controversies
By: William Leiss.
Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press
Published: 2001
Place of publication: Montreal; Ithaca
Language: eng
Number of pages: 388
Subjects: Industrial management -- Environmental aspects -- Canada -- Case studies.; Risk management -- Canada -- Case studies.; Environmental policy -- Canada -- Case studies.; Health risk assessment -- Canada -- Case studies.; Environmental risk assessment -- Canada -- Case studies.; Risk Assessment -- organization & administration -- Canada.; Risk Management -- organization & administration -- Canada.; Conservation of Natural Resources -- Canada.; Risques pour la santé -- Évaluation -- Canada -- Cas, Études de.; Environnement -- Évaluation du risque -- Canada -- Cas, Études de.; Gestion du risque -- Canada -- Cas, Études de.; Environnement -- Protection -- Politique gouvernementale -- Canada.
Genres: Case studies.; Cas, Études de.
Description: "Through a new set of detailed case studies, William Leiss shows that while industry and governments have made much progress in responsibly managing risks to health and environment, they remain quite poor at managing their involvements with risk issues, that is, with the often intense controversies about the way in which risks should be managed.

This organizational risk, associated with misunderstanding the nature of risk management issues, can have damaging consequences, something that remains poorly appreciated.".

"The essential problem is the failure to recognize that controversies over risks are "normal events" in modern society and as such will be with us for the foreseeable future. Three key propositions define these events: risk management decisions are inherently disputable; public perceptions of risk are legitimate and should be treated as such; the public needs to be intensively involved in the processes of risk evaluation and management.

Leiss and his collaborators chronicle these organizational risks in a set of detailed case studies on genetically modified foods, cellular telephones, the notorious fuel additive MMT, pulp mill effluent, nuclear power, toxic substances legislation, tobacco, and the new type of "moral risks" associated with genetics technologies such as cloning."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [363]-383) and index.
Table of contents: title: Risk issue management; title: Frankenfoods; or, the trouble with science; title: Cellular telephones; title: MMT, a risk management masquerade; title: Regulating nuclear power: the mismanagement of public consultation in Canada / Michael D. Mehta; title: Environment's x-file: pulp mill effluent regulation; title: Between expertise and bureaucracy: trapped at the interface of science and policy; title: The CEPA soap opera; title: Voluntary instruments / Éric Darier and Deborah VanNijnatten; title: Tobacco uncontrolled; title: Into the maze of moral risks; title: Towards competence in risk issue management; title: Appendix: providing independent expert advice to government and the public.