Iron replacement: precautionary principle versus risk‐based decision making

Science for precautionary decision ‐ making

(1) The author would like to thank Mette Eriksen for conducting the searches on SciFinder. Helpful contributions on earlier versions were made by John Bailar, Carl Cranor, David Gee and David Kriebel. The goals of academic researchers may differ from those of regulatory agencies responsible for protecting the environment. Thus, research must take into account issues such as feasibility, merit a...

Decision-making under scientific uncertainty : The economics of the Precautionary Principle

Implications of the Precautionary Principle in research and policy-making.

The Precautionary Principle (PP) has recently been formally introduced into national and international law. The key element is the justification for acting in the face of uncertainty. The PP is thereby a tool for avoiding possible future harm associated with suspected, but not conclusive, environmental risks. Under the PP, the burden of proof is shifted from demonstrating the presence of risk 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.