Breeding Bio Insecurity : How U. S. Biodefense Is Exporting Fear, Globalizing Risk, and Making Us All Less Secure

In the years since the 9/11 attacksand the subsequent lethal anthrax lettersthe United States has spent billions of dollars on measures to defend the population against the threat of biological weapons. But as Lynn C. Klotz and Edward J. Sylvester argue forcefully inBreeding Bio Insecurity, all that money and effort hasn't made us any saferin fact, it has made us more vulnerable. Breeding Bio Insecurityreveals the mistakes made to this point and lays out the necessary steps to set us on the path toward true biosecurity. The fundamental problem with the current approach, according to the authors, is the danger caused by the sheer size and secrecy of our biodefense effort. Thousands of scientists spread throughout hundreds of locations are now working with lethal bioweapons agentsbut their inability to make their work public causes suspicion among our enemies and allies alike, even as the enormous number of laboratories greatly multiplies the inherent risk of deadly accidents or theft. Meanwhile, vital public health needs go unmet because of this new biodefense focus. True biosecurity, the authors argue, will require a multipronged effort based in an understanding of the complexity of the issue, guided by scientific ethics, and watched over by a vigilant citizenry attentive to the difference between fear mongering and true analysis of risk. An impassioned warning that never loses sight of political and scientific reality,Breeding Bio Insecurityis a crucial first step toward meeting the evolving threats of the twenty-first century.