scholarly journals Environmental Management: the Precautionary Principle and Null Hypotheses

1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 78 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. Goodall
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Precautionary Principle ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
The Precautionary Principle

A recent paper (Calver et al. 1999) exemplifies an approach to environmental problems which, though common, is often inappropriate, and may indeed be counterproductive in confrontational situations. An examination seems called for.

THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE AND THE BOOK OF PROVERBS: TOWARD AN ETHIC OF ECOLOGICAL PRUDENCE IN OCEAN MANAGEMENT

2003 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Power Bratton
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Precautionary Principle ◽  
Weak Form ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Wisdom Literature ◽  
Environmental Disaster ◽  
The Precautionary Principle ◽  
Ocean Management ◽  
Do No Harm

AbstractRecent catastrophes in environmental management, such as population collapses in oceanic fisheries, have led environmental activists and scholars to invoke the precautionary principle (PP). In its strong form, PP demands that no human-initiated change in an ecosystem be permitted unless it is certain it will do no harm; while, in its weak form, PP holds that if an action might be environmentally harmful, regulators may, on best evidence, limit human activities to avoid damaging ecosystem perturbations. Implementing PP, however, presents epistemological, logical and practical difficulties. This paper compares the function of PP to that of the Biblical Wisdom literature in encouraging ecological prudence, and argues that PP should be replaced by a series of guiding concepts, dealing with the limitations of ecological knowledge and the flaws in human character most likely to result in environmental disaster. The environmental cases analysed are from oceanic fisheries management.

THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE—NEW OPPORTUNITIES OR NEW CONSTRAINTS FOR THE OIL EXPLORATION INDUSTRY?

1994 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 118
Author(s):  
H.R. Harding ◽  
E.C. Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Precautionary Principle ◽  
Scientific Uncertainty ◽  
Community Values ◽  
The Precautionary Principle ◽  
Complex Concept ◽  
Present Trend ◽  
Potential Benefits

'Corporations if they are to remain in business for the long term must operate within a context of community values'. Burnup (1993)The precautionary principle has in recent years become embodied in Australian environmental policy and the present trend for its inclusion in legislation is likely to continue. Recent cases illustrate its application to the assessment of specific projects. Given these cases the precautionary principle needs to be placed on the oil E&P industry's environmental management agenda. The principle is not a simple rule of 'zero risk', but rather is a complex concept concerned with scientific uncertainty and information integrity and may require enhanced public participation for its application. More importantly application of the precautionary principle is a process in which industry has an important role to play. It is argued that participation in this process offers significant potential benefits for industry.

Making decisions in the 21st century: Scientific data, weight of evidence, and the precautionary principle

2003 ◽  
Vol 75 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 2505-2513 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Burger
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Precautionary Principle ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Weight Of Evidence ◽  
The Precautionary Principle ◽  
Data Gaps ◽  
Public Policy Decisions ◽  
Active Substances

Traditionally, science has progressed by slow steps involving the accumulation of studies showing particular effects, leading eventually to a general consensus. However, with increasing development and industrialization, environmental problems have escalated faster than the ability to collect sufficient data to form clear consensus among scientists. Since managers require scientific information to make decisions about management, regulation, and public policy, the gap has been partially filled by two approaches: weight of evidence and the precautionary principle. I suggest that both are useful for making decisions about endocrine active substances, although few papers in the refereed literature link the precautionary principle with endocrine active substances. As with most public policy decisions, these involve an iterative process whereby scientific inquiry must continue to fill data gaps, and to determine if the decisions made by these processes are still appropriate and protective of human and ecological health. The precautionary principle is most useful when it continues to inform and help direct research to fill data gaps in our understanding of environmental problems, such as the effect of endocrine active substances on endocrine disruption.

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