Blog 1 - - - Class Reflections - Precautionary Principles

What are your thoughts on Precautionary Principles, should it be widely applied in environmental regulations? And will this have serious negative impacts?

The definition provides a good aspect, by saying if we wait until we completely understand the problem, it will be too late to take appropriate action, as irreversible damage would have already of occurred. I can side with this argument, because much of the progress the world experiences relies on taking risks into the unknown, to eventually find the true answer through experience and time. The counter argument of not taking action until the problem is fully identified can be dismissed when looking at the overall costs and impacts, compared to taking actions when the topic is not completely understood. Basically saying, Impacts that have action taken on them right away will have lower costs trying to fix a small problem, than it would leaving the problem, in search for a complete understanding, and having to fix, if possible at that point, a major disaster.
Weather this principal should be widely used is up for debate. The environmental side will strongly agree, putting the environment in front of the cost/risk aspect. The government, also involved with protecting the environment to the best of there ability, will have a higher emphasis on the cost of project to the risk of the environment. Money will be the limiting factor whether or not this idea will become more accepted. It is everyone’s responsibility to protect the environment, but much of the funding is relied upon from the government. Responsibility the government will want an almost perfect understanding of the problem, to insure the money, which is limited, is spent on the most seriously problem first.
Cost effective view for the impact on the environment is not a positive view, Humans are endlessly changing and polluting the natural environment with new ideas and unlimited amounts of money. Without strong enough environmental taxes on polluters, the government only has a fraction of the money to counteract these actions. Negative impacts are most certainly to occur, not from the idea of using precautionary principals, but trying to find the unlimited funding need to carry out those actions. Business will continue to clash with environmental actions, as both fight each other to pay for our mistakes, but the real loser still remains the environment.