Conclusions

Abstract

Science, technology and the evolution of regulation are gradually eliminating many of the traditional risks in society. As our ability to control the environment around the United States grows, we feel safer and expect the world to be more predictable. This development poses a number of paradoxical challenges for governments on both sides of the Atlantic. The abject side of scientific progress and technological precision is that we are creating new and more interconnected risks. The 2009 concerns about a disastrous global H1N1 flu pandemic illustrate this point. Airplanes and globalization are the products of scientific advancement, yet they also facilitate the rapid spread of diseases worldwide. Furthermore, as we become better at identifying and regulating known risks, the political discussions about who should bear the financial and social responsibility for mitigating risks are getting fiercer, as the international discussions over addressing global climate change show.