Controlling emerging risks: Unconventional hydrocarbons

The risks related to developing an industry that is likely to have harmful effects on the environment and the population's health are said to be 'emergent'. They often stem from advances in new technology, but they might also follow from long-time practices that have sooner or later proven to be a danger owing to new scientific knowledge or changes in how public opinion perceives them. An example of the latter: the French perception of risks related to tapping unconventional hydrocarbons by applying processes that have been used for more than a decade in the United States. Serious questions, relayed by citizens and public authorities, have been raised about this new resource's environmental impact