Catastrophe Risk and Response |
|
| Author:
| Posner, Richard A. |
| ISBN: | 978-0-19-530647-7 |
| Publication Date: | May 2006 |
| Publisher: | Oxford University Press, Incorporated
|
| Book Format: | Paperback |
| List Price: | AUD $47.23AUD $68.95 |
Book Description:
|
Collision with an asteroid, runaway global warming, a pandemic of gene-spliced smallpox launched by bioterrorists, and a world-ending accident in a high-energy particle accelerator, are among the extinction events that are sufficiently likely to warrant careful study. How should we respond to events that, for a variety of reasons, we find it hard to wrap our minds around? Posner argues that realism about science and scientists, innovative applications of cost-benefit analysis, a...
More DescriptionCollision with an asteroid, runaway global warming, a pandemic of gene-spliced smallpox launched by bioterrorists, and a world-ending accident in a high-energy particle accelerator, are among the extinction events that are sufficiently likely to warrant careful study. How should we respond to events that, for a variety of reasons, we find it hard to wrap our minds around? Posner argues that realism about science and scientists, innovative applications of cost-benefit analysis, a scientifically literate legal profession, unprecedented international cooperation, and a pragmatic attitude toward civil liberties are among the keys to coping effectively.