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Tickner, Joel; Kriebel, David --- "The Role of Science and Precaution in Environmental and Public Health Policy" [2006] ELECD 386; in Fisher, Elizabeth; Jones, Judith; von Schomberg, René (eds), "Implementing the Precautionary Principle" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2006)

Book Title: Implementing the Precautionary Principle

Editor(s): Fisher, Elizabeth; Jones, Judith; von Schomberg, René

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781845427023

Section: Chapter 3

Section Title: The Role of Science and Precaution in Environmental and Public Health Policy

Author(s): Tickner, Joel; Kriebel, David

Number of pages: 21

Extract:

3. The role of science and precaution
in environmental and public health
policy1
Joel Tickner and David Kriebel

The precautionary principle has often been portrayed as contrary to the tenets
of sound science and inconsistent with the norms of `science-based' decision
making (Morris, 2000; Holm and Harris, 1999). Others view it as simply a
management principle applied only after `objective' scientific inquiry
(European Commission, 2000). We believe that these critiques are based on a
fundamental misunderstanding of environmental science2 and its role in
policy. Most pressing environmental crises share a fundamental characteris-
tic: they appear to arise from disruptions of natural systems or cycles, the
behaviour of which is only partially understood. Global warming, endocrine
disruption, ecological and health risks from genetically modified organisms
and environmental breast cancer risks, are hazards about which there remains
a great deal of uncertainty. We draw two conclusions from this problem of
uncertainty: first, more scientific research is greatly needed to fill the gaps in
our knowledge. Second, while waiting for more complete understanding, we
must find ways to make decisions that are based on the best available science,
while acknowledging the uncertainties that remain. We believe, therefore, that
there is no contradiction between good science and precautionary action.
The purpose of this chapter is to examine the precautionary principle
and its relationship to science, as well as the barriers to science playing a
more protective role in characterizing risks and developing solutions. We
examine this relationship from the perspective of United States ( ...