Paris Agreement, Precautionary Principle and Human Rights: Zero Emissions in Two Decades?

Precautionary Principle and Hormesis

Fundamental principles of precaution are legal maxims that ask for preventive actions, perhaps as contingent interim measures when relevant information about causality and harm remains unavailable, to minimize the societal impact of potentially severe or irreversible outcomes. Such principles do not explain how to make choices or how to identify what is protective when incomplete and inconsiste...

Standing and 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.

Nanomaterials and the Precautionary Principle

Nanomaterials and the Precautionary Principle doi:10.1289/ehp.1103687 Kessler (2011) provided a valuable update on the current state of research and regulatory pol­ icy concerning nano materials. However, the article could give the mis leading impression that the precautionary principle constitutes a straightforward guideline for improving public policy in this area. Instead, the precautionary ...