An Environmental Version of the Hippocratic Oath

[cprise]

by Jared Blumenfeld


A bold environmental code becomes law in San Francisco today, one whose overarching framework is called the Precautionary Principle. Through it, San Francisco is taking a significant step away from the Bush administration's anti-environmental policies.

The Precautionary Principle sets out to improve the way we make environmental decisions. While the Bush team asks, "How much environmental harm will be allowed?," in San Francisco, decision-makers will ask a very different question: "How little harm is possible?"
...

Unfortunately, in today's regulatory system lack of proof of harm is usually misinterpreted as proof of safety. In San Francisco, we want to create a means to take action despite scientific uncertainty about the degree of a given risk. Too often, regulatory agencies get stuck in "paralysis by analysis"; the new framework removes excuses for inaction on the grounds of scientific uncertainty.
(more)

http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0804-04.htm

[cprise]

1. This also mirrors economic conservatism

...except that the need to scale-back environmentally risky activities and technology totally trumps the need to keep investor-barons in mansions and maids. Of course, such a policy cannot be run short-sighted, or it could result in the denial of any activity where the immediate effects might appear harmful or intrusive.