ABSTRACT
Terrorism poses a serious risk to health, safety, and the environment. Using either conventional methods, such as bombs or aircraft, or weapons of mass destruction (WMD)—whether chemical, biological, or nuclear—terrorism can cause dozens to thousands to millions of human fatalities, spread toxic plumes of smoke, trigger widespread fear and restrictions on civil liberties, and lead to irreparable ecological devastation. As U.S. and European societies have become more prosperous and more focused on reducing risk (Beck 1992), and in response to dramatic events such as the attacks of September 11, 2001, concerns about the Cold War have been succeeded by fears of terrorism. Managing the risk of terrorism has become the paramount concern of many governments, especially those of the United States and the UK. The risk of terrorism was the reason for the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the position of national intelligence director—the most sweeping reorganization of the U.S. government bureaucracy since the overhaul to address health and environmental risks that created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), and other agencies in the 1970s. The risk of terrorism was arguably the leading issue in the 2004 U.S. presidential election campaign. And the terrorist bombings of Madrid on March 11, 2004, played a significant role in the national election held days later.
