Understanding Controversies Related to Emerging Risks
Résumé
Public authorities, international organisations and private operators generally have alimited understanding of how risks issues emerge. Whilst much research anddevelopment have gone into risk assessment, and more recently risk communication,fewer efforts have gone into gaining better knowledge of the mechanisms involved in thelabelling of a particular activity as a risk. To take the case of EMF, apart from studies in theUK (Burgess, 2004) and in France (Borraz et al., 2004), limited knowledge is available toexplain how exactly mobile telephony has come to be seen and managed as a (potential)risk for health. In most cases, regulators and operators alike undertake to manage riskswithout having any actual knowledge concerning the origins or the dynamics of the issue. [Premier paragraphe]