A Precautionary Tale

Abstract

Sustainable management of dwindling resources is perhaps the biggest challenge facing the human species. Successfully addressing this challenge requires holistic perspective: a nebulous connection across disparate realms of science, economics and sociopolitics. Here, I examine some important historical philosophical ideas in our understanding of science. I relate these ideas to how science is generally perceived today. And I question how our view of science is applied through modern policy incorporating a variant of the 'precautionary principle', a notion that essentially attempts to articulate a cautious approach to management in our rapidly changing world. I conclude that deeper, philosophical thought would be much welcome: both for clearer purpose within science itself and in order to move forward more strategically in applied areas, such as sustainable management of our planet. In the world today, it is becoming increasingly clear that finding a sustainable solution to our resource crisis is the key to our long-term survival as a species. Topics such as biodiversity loss, land degradation, environmental restoration and, most notably of late, global warming, are fuelled by ongoing debate. They have become scrutinised and thrust onto the world stage. Public opinion of these issues is much welcome, even if criticised as being largely whipped by media frenzy rather than rational deliberation. It plays crucial part in democratic process on the path toward policy change and a more sustainable future for us all. And yet finding solutions to sustainability issues remains humanity's greatest challenge: it requires a broad perspective, spanning the realms of science, economics and policy. In rewriting policy, Science must grapple head-on with the Law; an often unhappy union. Also, we must strive towards a fusion between, on the one hand, the goal of an objective, methodical interpretation of our world, and on the other hand, our subjective value judgements of how changes to the environment may impact upon our lives. In our search for these sustainable solutions, we continue the struggle to be precautionary in our approach to environmental management. In the 1992 Earth Summit at Rio, representatives of 100 countries united to forge a blueprint for global sustainable development in the 21 st Century. A key document emerging from these meetings became known as Principle 15 or 'The Precautionary Principle'. Here is a bite size chunk of it: