Response to “Comment: BEMS, WHO, and the Precautionary Principle”

Who is Afraid of the “Precautionary Principle”?

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...

Response to review by Trevor Charles re: Precautionary Principle

Thank you for the review of our paper. We will provide a point by point response below to your comments. Since you have focused on biological questions, it is important for us to emphasize that we did not perform a “statistical analysis” (which is inherently evidentiary and data based and anchored in biological experiments). Instead, we are engaged in a rigorous analysis of risk as it is derive...

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...