Wolves and Human Threat Assessment
My topic is risk and danger perception. People are bad at perceiving common risks and make poor decisions because of this. Consulting data is the best way to inform legislators and professions on what is actually hazardous, and can better influence action and policy. Research was conducted on wolves and occupational hazards to drive the point forward. Information and statistics were derived from a diverse range of sources. Wolf attacks are rare, but because of how people perceive risk of being attacked by wolves, poorly informed legislation caused the grey wolf population to drastically fall from its pre-colonial numbers. Similarly, even though 33% of workplace hazards can be avoided by OSHA’s ergonomic standards, the Bush administration eliminated such standard for being perceived as unimportant and negatively impacts business owners. Consulting data of what is actually harmful for people instead of relying on one’s own perception will help legislators and professional make a informed decision on how to properly protect people with fewer adverse outcomes.