The Precautionary Principle
“ In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainly shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.”
The precautionary principle is a new paradigm of decision-making. It is based on:
- Taking precautionary action before scientific certainty of cause and effect;
- Setting goals;
- Seeking out and evaluating alternatives;
- Shifting burdens of proof; and
- Developing more democratic and thorough decision-making criteria and methods.
New Campaign Launched to Promote the Precautionary Principle in the United States
The Center for Health, Environmental and Justice has launched the Environmental Health Alliance campaign to implement the precautionary principle to protect our health, environment, and economy for ourselves and future generations.
The campaign is promoting a platform based on four principles:
- Heed Early Warning Signs
- Put Safety First
- Exercise Democracy
- Choose the Safest Solutions
Click here for more information on this campaign.
