ABSTRACT
This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part discusses a provider of financial and moral support for research, a former Congressman representing the political and public views, and a long-time observer of our society from academe and originator of the concept of bioethics. There are several emerging social science areas involving research that involve values and value judgments. These include, among others: risks due to natural or physical phenomena; risks created by social systems, e.g., due to human error or mismanagement; and risks of destruction of disease to animals, plants, or ecosystems. It is important to consider the areas of values, perceptions, and ethics in environmental risk decision making from all the different vantage points of disciplines, specialties, and biases in our society. Global Bioethics calls for environmental ethics and medical ethics to look at each others’ problems.
