HISTORICAL TRENDS IN ENGERGY RISK COMPARISONS

Long term trends in the analyses of risks from various energy sources are discussed in this paper, which notes that the difficulties in the logical and structural problems encountered when energy risks are compared have not been successfully resolved. The main focus and benefit of such studies has been to identify and reduce major contributors to risk. The benefits of their use in comparisons has not been established, but comparisons can contribute positively to debates over energy choices if their role is not exaggerated. It is noted that there are methodolocical problems in risk assessment which limit their usefulness.