Rethinking risk and the precautionary principle / edited by Julian Morris.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction -- Biographies -- 1. Defining the precautionary principle -- 2. Trial and error versus trial without error -- 3. The precautionary principle and our obligations to future generations -- 4. Precaution, GM crops and farmland birds -- 5. Genetically modified fear and the international regulation of biotechnology -- 6. Asteroid collisions and precautionary thinking -- 7. Child protection and the precautionary principle -- 8. Plastic panics: European risk regulation in the aftermath of BSE -- 9. The precautionary principle as a force for global political centralization: a case-study of the Kyoto Protocol -- 10. Applying the precautionary principle in a broader context -- 11. A Richter scale for risk? -- 12. Facts versus factions: the use and abuse of subjectivity in scientific research -- Index.

"This book challenges the claim that the precautionary principle is an appropriate guide to public policy decision-making in the face of uncertainty.; The precautionary principle is frequently invoked as a justification for regulating human activities. From bans on the use of growth hormones in cattle to restrictions on children's playground activities, precautionary thinking seems to be taking over our lives. As the contributors to this book show, such an approach is of dubious utility and may even be counterproductive. This is a timely and important contribution to the debate on how to manage risk in the modern world.The editor, Julian Morris, is Director of the Environment and Technology Programme at the Institute of Economic Affairs in London. He has written widely on issues relating to environmental protection and technological development.Up to date discussion of current issues and scientific controversies.Challenges the claim that the 'precautionary principle' is an appropriate guide to public policy decisions."--Publisher description.

Machine converted from AACR2 source record.