Environmental Risk Perception
This article recognizes the changes in the environment, pollution and modern technologies and their impact for both human and nature. The people perceive these risks prompts the actions adopted in addressing such risks. The article provides various factors that have been proposed in providing explanation risks with the environment providing a discussion of the biases and heuristics. However, the perceptions have also been based on subjective judgements on risks and cognitive biases. The article also provides a discussion of the psychometric, model, which identifies the core features of risk underlying perceptions of risks. The explanation on environmental risks and perception is also approached from the values and moral dimensions focusing on individual values and features that affect perceptions of risks. The paper also evaluates the emotions that shape and result from the perceived risks.
Risks results from the probability that an uncertain activity or event might occur and have some adverse effects on humans or something that they value. Environment risks provide a unique kind of risk due to the complexities and uncertainties and the intricate causal relationships of multiple consequences. The emergence of environmental risks result from aggravated behaviors of different activities and mitigation involves action from many quarters. For example, the environmental risks range from acidification of the oceans, flooding and destruction of human habitat. The complexity of environmental risks is also displayed due to temporal delays and geographical distant that involve environmental risks. For example, the environmental risks are exposed to developing countries from industrialized countries, which cause the pollutions.
The perception of environmental risks is based on subjective judgements of people about the risks. There has been various researches that have been developed in assessing the subjectivity of risk judgements based on threats and hazards perceived by the people. The article also provides an explanation of heuristics and biases of subjective judgments that people perceive on environmental risks. Environmental risks are temporary discounted based on the fact that the impact and they are perceived less severe when the outcome is experienced in the short term. The perceptions of environmental risks are also based on values and moral positions such as patriotism and concern for the welfare of other human beings. Individual emotions also affect the perceptions of risks such as negative and positive emotions affect how people perceive risks. Therefore, this article provides an analysis of peoples perception of environmental risks and the various factors that lead to these perceptions.
Risk Perceptions of Environmental Hazards and Human Reproduction: A Community-Based Survey
This article presents the perceived risks on a human being's reproductive health from various environmental risks that have been identified. The article is based on a community based survey where 1261 subjects were interviewed. The interview focused on various specific questions in regard to the risks of various environmental hazards harmful to human reproduction. The study also established that risk perception is also affected by age as older individuals are likely to perceive risks more highly as compared to younger people. The study established that pesticides are the most harmful products to human reproduction. The perception of risk in regard to reproductive health is different from general environmental risks. The analysis and conclusion provided in this article presents an essential source of policy formulation for health professionals and policy makers.
Environmental changes and exposures caused by changes in the environment have been a global concern, and there has been an increase in links of disease caused by environmental exposures. For example, the study has established that children and developing fetuses are among the most vulnerable from changes in the environment as a result of pollution. There has been various agencies urging for more research on the field such as the European Environment Agency and World Heal Organization. The study disintegrates personal and non-personal environmental risk factors. For example, the personal factors are categorized as the lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol and obesity.
However, establishing the links between non-personal factors and fetus and child development has been a daunting task for researchers. This has been due to the complexity of interactions between various agents and the temporality of environmental factors. There are various environmental factors that pregnant mothers are exposed to increasing the complexity. However, it has been identified that some environmental factors have significant effects on mothers creating potential hazards during pregnancy. In conclusion, the study establishes that there is scientific evidence that prenatal exposure to environmental hazards creates potential hazards for children.
Comparison of Risk Perceptions in these Articles
The two articles focus on environmental risk perceptions of people providing the complexity of perception in regard to environmental risks. Based on the numerous players contributing to environmental risks and the temporal discounting in regard environmental risks it has been difficult to provide a conclusive analysis. However, the first article has been able to disintegrate different factors and complexities of environmental risks such as heuristic perceptions. The article has also been able to explain the factors such as temporal discounting distant that complicate the issues regarding environmental risks. For example, when the developed countries pollute the environment, the developing countries bear the consequences.
The second article provides a more specific approach in regard to environmental risks specifically pointing their impact on children and fetus development. The article provides perceptions created in regard to environmental risks that affect child and fetus development. There has been numerous perceptions that people have created in regards to environmental risks that people are exposed. However, the study has been able to establish scientific evidence that provides links between a fetus and child development and environmental risks (Shepherd, et al, 2012 ). However, in both articles emotions of people play an imperative role in determining how people perceive environmental risks.
Discussion
There has been great concerns of the modern world based on environmental changes and increased pollution, which has had adverse effects on people and their habitat. This has led to the creation of perceptions of risks associated with environmental changes based on various factors. For example, there are numerous factors that determine how people perceive risks such as their emotions and the complexities relating to environmental risks. Environmental risk provides a complex discussion that based on the numerous players and factors surrounding the environmental risks.
The human subjectivity is also an important factor determining the perceptions of environmental risks. Scientific evidence also affects people’s perception of environmental risks. For example, when there is scientific proof that there are some certain environmental factors that affect certain development or habitat, people tend to perceive such factors more seriously irrespective of age. Age has also been a determinant of people’s perception of environmental risks where the older population perceives environmental risks more highly as compared to the younger people.
References
Gisela, B. ö. (2011). Environmental risk perception. Journal of Environmental Psychology , 16-25.
Shepherd, A., Jepson, R., Watterson, A., & Evans, J. M. (2012 ). Risk Perceptions of Environmental Hazards and Human Reproduction: A Community-Based Survey. Public Health .
