THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE IN PRACTICE ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION-MAKING AND SCIENTIFIC UNCERTAINTY

• Main Author: Peel, Jacqueline (Author)
• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Published: Annandale, NSW Federation Press 2005
• Subjects: Environmental risk assessment; Precautionary principle
• Online Access: Click Here to View Status and Holdings.

 The precautionary principle puts forward the "commonsense" notion that decision-makers should be cautious when assessing potential health or environmental harms in the absence of the full scientific facts. It is now a well-established tenet of environmental law. The debate now centers on its legal implementation, especially its application "in practice." This text considers how decision-makers can assess threats to health or the environment when the available scientific evidence is sparse and discusses the types of "uncertainties" that bring the precautionary principle into play. Peel uses detailed case studies which examine the implementation of the precautionary principle in actual decision-making scenarios: fisheries management, risk assessment for genetically-modified organisms, and environmental impact assessment for development applications. She demonstrates an approach that can be adapted to different circumstances.