Is the Precautionary Principle Used to Cover Up Ignorance?

Is the Precautionary Principle Really Incoherent?

The Precautionary Principle has been an increasingly important principle in international treaties since the 1980s. Through varying formulations, it states that when an activity can lead to a catastrophe for human health or the environment, measures should be taken to prevent it even if the cause-and-effect relationship is not fully established scientifically. The Precautionary Principle has be...

Applying the Precautionary Principle To

This paper sets out a framework for applying the precautionary principle to the release of new and existing genetically engineered (GE) crops. The framework aims to assist NGOs, scientists, regulators and others who are currently addressing issues related to genetic engineering and/or the precautionary principle. The steps outlined here suggest a way forward in the current genetic engineering d...

Who is Afraid of the “Precautionary Principle”?

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.