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The Precautionary Principle
The Problem
The places we live, work, play, learn and worship, the water we
drink, and the food we eat contain toxic chemicals, radioactive
materials, heavy metals, genetically altered organisms, and more.
We know that many potentially toxic substances are stored in our
bodies and passed on to our children.
We know very little about the toxicity of 75% of the most heavily
used industrial chemicals. Of the 85,000 synthetic chemicals now
in use, fewer than 10% have been tested for their effects on human
health. These substances, in addition to chemical pesticides, are
widely released in large quantities into our environment.
Yet we have good scientific evidence that these exposures are
already affecting our health and the health of our children: cancer,
asthma, learning disabilities, and other illnesses have been linked
to environmental exposures, and the incidence of many other health
problems is on the rise. In 1950, it was predicted that about 25%
of all Americans would be diagnosed with cancer; by 1997 that figure
had risen to 40%. Asthma's prevalence is now doubling every 20 years.
Rates of autism and attention deficit disorder also appear to be
rising rapidly in children.
Releasing potentially harmful substances into our surroundings
and food is legal and permitted by government authorities, even
though we have an increasing understanding of how dangerous they
really are.
Many laws and regulations require strong evidence or proof of
a cause-effect link between each pollutant and its health effects
before preventive actions are taken.
Science has so far been unable to assess the impact of multiple
exposures: the daily toxic soup to which we are exposed, and the
interactions and cumulative effects of these exposures. Many people
are being harmed as we wait for science to be able to prove direct
links between chemical exposure and illness.
The Precautionary Principle
What does it say?
The Precautionary Principle says that our first priority is protecting
our health. It asserts our right to air, water, land and food that
won't hurt us. It says, "Better safe than sorry," acknowledging
that in our complex world, scientists often cannot predict what
impact toxic exposures will have on our health. The Precautionary
Principle calls for us to seek out the safest ways to accomplish
our activities while recognizing the limits of our scientific knowledge.
What does it do?
It is a guiding principle for government officials, companies,
and citizens to use in making decisions about potentially hazardous
activities. It demands more rigorous, honest, and complete scientific
analysis of possible hazards and alternatives. It encourages us
to be both cost-effective and caring, by preventing harm before
it happens, rather than by trying to cure illness or clean up pollution
after they occur. It can protect our health in ways that current
laws do not.
How will it help change things?
Incorporating the Precautionary Principle into laws, regulations,
and policies would fundamentally change the way that environmental,
land-use and health decisions are made, so that we can:
- Take more health protective actions in the face of scientific
uncertainty;
- Select the safest alternative technologies and materials to
meet our needs;
- Require that producers, not the public, demonstrate that they
have selected the safest alternative;
- Fully involve the
public in making democratic decisions regarding their lives
and health;
- Move closer to creating sustainable communities by preventing
harm from the outset.
How is it already used?
The Precautionary Principle is already incorporated into many
international environmental agreements and European environmental
policies. The Principle is central to the "Rio Declaration,"
an international agreement signed by the U.S. at the 1992 UN Conference
on Environment and Development (the Earth Summit) in Rio de Janeiro.
In concept, it is at the heart of many environmental policies based
on clean production and pollution prevention.
Many polluting industries oppose the Precautionary Principle because
it forces them to take responsibility for their actions and change
business as usual. It's time to move quickly to define how precaution
should be integrated into laws and policies effectively implemented.
In the Bay Area
The Precautionary Principle has been adopted in San Francisco and
incorporated into their purchasing ordinance. Berkeley has
adopted a resolution supporting the Principle.
In Marin
In July, 2003, Supervisors Cynthia Murray and Susan Adams wrote
to their colleagues on the Marin County Board of Supervisors stating
that Dr. Larry Meredith and Alex Hinds have been researching the
Precautionary Principle as a first step in "understanding what
implementation of the principle would look like in County operations."
Supporters of Zero Breast Cancer interested in assisting
in implementing the Precautionary Principle should contact Sandra
L. Cross at Zero Breast Cancer: (415) 507-1949.
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