Risk and The Public Acceptance of New Technologies

Scientific and technological innovation continues at a rapid pace, but the public is increasingly aware of possible risks and demanding greater involvement in decisions about new technologies. This edited volume brings together leading social scientists who address recent evidence and debates about public engagement and trust in experts. The chapters consider different methods of public consultation and ’deliberation’ in relation to a variety of new technologies, including genetically modified foods, mobile telecommunications, nanotechnology, and hydrogen energy.

JULIE BARNETT is Senior Research Fellow, Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, UK H. DEVINE-WRIGHT is a Research Fellow in Environmental Psychology, University of Manchester, UK P. DEVINE-WRIGHT is a Senior Lecturer, University of Manchester Architecture Research Centre, UK MALCOLM EAMES is Professor of Innovation and Sustainable Development, Brunel Business School, Brunel University, UK ARNOUT FISCHER is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Marketing and Consumer Behaviour Group, Wageningen University, The Netherlands LYNN FREWER is Professor in Food Safety and Consumer Behaviour, Wageningen University, The Netherlands MIKE HODSON is Research Fellow, Centre for Sustainable Urban and Regional Futures (SURF), University of Salford, UK TOM HORLICK-JONES is an independent researcher and consultant, currently based at Cardiff School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, UK ALAN IRWIN is Professor of Science and Technology Policy, University of Liverpool, UK SIMON MARVIN is Professor and Director of the Centre for Sustainable Urban and Regional Futures, University of Salford, UK WILL MCDOWALL is a Researcher at the Centre for Health and Environmental Research, University of British Columbia, Canada ALISON MOHR is Senior Research Fellow, Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster, London, UK SOUSANA MOURATO is Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics at Imperial College, London, UK TANYA O’GARRA is currently Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of the South Pacific in Fiji, and is also a Visiting Research Associate at Imperial College, London, UK PETER PEARSON is Professor of Energy and Environmental Studies, and Director of the Imperial College (London) Centre for Energy Policy and Technology (ICEPT), and also is a director of Imperial College’s ’Futures Lab’, UK MIRIAM RICCI is a Research Fellow, Institute for Social, Cultural and Policy Research, University of Salford, UK F. SHERRY-BRENNAN is a Doctoral candidate, University of Manchester, UK VICKY SIMPSON was Research Associate and is currently Centre Administrator, Centre for Sustainable Urban and Regional Futures (SURF), University of Salford, UK LADA TIMOTIJEVIC is a Research Fellow in the Food, Consumer Behaviour and Health Research Centre, University of Surrey, UK