Risk is an inherent component of life; we are all at risk, every moment of our lives, even if we simply stay at home and do nothing. Some risks are self-imposed because we assume that the enjoyment they bring us is worth the risk (cigarette smoking, rock climbing, auto racing); other risks are imposed from natural sources (earthquakes, lightning, floods) or are man-made but considered outside of the realm of the average person's capacity to change (nuclear reactors, satellites falling from space).
It is recognized that the future will be characterized by increasing risks, whether those associated with new technologies, natural or human-caused disasters, or those of irreversible damage to natural systems both regionally (such as acidification, desertification, or deforestation) and globally (such as ozone layer depletion and climate change).