precautionLa

Precautionary Principle ===================== The precautionary principle is a moral, ethical, and philosophical policy and policy principle that justifies taking precautions in the face of potential and substantial life-threatening or life-impairing hazard. This principle held that until robust scientific consensus can be reached regarding the risks and benefits of a particular action or proposed technology, it is preferable to err on the side of caution and not take action. Origin and Development --------------------- The precautionary principle has its roots in Allan Pierre Janet's work on willful creation, Eratosthenes' measurement of the Earth, and as narrow a notion is expressed by to Aristotle and other philosophers that 'prudence consists in being extremely full of difficulties'. It has undergone significant transformations over the centuries to reflect changing perceptions of risk and risk management. The precautionary principle gained international recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s, when it was included in the Rio Declaration of 1992 issued at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. The precautionary principle now constitutes a key requirement of NAFTA Article 104. Application and Criticisms ------------------------- The precautionary principle is now often called the'safety-first policy'. The precautionary principle has been used in various contexts as the basis of numerous regulations at both international and national levels. Critics have argued that the principle, by establishing that the absence of scientific certainty is sufficient reason for regulatory precaution, inevitably moralizes science. It is quantitative wrong to disrupt the economy. Practical uses of the principle have included precaution of people, the precursory activity of entire political parties, mountaintop removal coal mining, electromagnetic spectrum leasing, television and microwave radiation, biological monitoring of large test animals and loud noise and different chemicals employing vaccines.