Beyond the Precautionary Principle

Beyond MTBE: Applying the Precautionary Principle to Gasoline Additives

Printed 1/2/2001 2 Based on an evaluation of the physicochemical and toxicological properties of Methyl tert-Butyl Ether (MTBE), as well as an ex post-facto cost and benefit analysis, it has become clear that there are less expensive and disruptive approaches to achieving the goals of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments with regards to gasoline-powered mobile sources. However, before jumping to t...

Implementing the precautionary principle.

The precautionary principle can be found in international treaties that protect human health and the environment from a variety of pollutants and perturbations. One of the earliest forms of the precautionary principle was used in the 1980s in Europe to protect the North Sea. In 1992, the Rio Declaration specifically included the precautionary principle in calling on nations to protect the envir...

Expanding the precautionary principle.

The Precautionary Principle Revisited:

The precautionary principle was included in 1992 in the Rio Declaration on Environmental and Development and is a part of important international agreements and documents, for example, the Convention on Biological Diversity. Yet the interpretation of this principle is not straightforward as a guide for environmental policy – a variety of interpretations are possible. This paper identifies and e...

The precautionary principle.

The Precautionary Principle in its simplest form states: "When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause-and-effect relationships are not fully established scientifically". This Principle is the basis for European environmental law, and plays an increasing role in developing environmental health policies as w...