Risk Regulation in the United States, Europe, and Beyond

2 credits · Nicholas School of Environment

Advanced, integrated analysis of the law, science and economics of societies' efforts to assess and manage risks of harm to human health, safety and the environment. Course examines the regulation of a wide array of risks, such as those from medical care and drugs, food, automobiles, drinking water, air pollution, energy, global climate change, and terrorism. The course explores the treatment of several basic issues confronting any regulatory system: risk assessment, risk management (including the debate over 'precaution' versus benefit-cost analysis), risk evaluations by experts vs. the public, and risk-risk tradeoffs.