Implementing A Precautionary Approach in Decisions Affecting Health, Safety, and the Environment: Risk, Technology Alternatives, and Tradeoff Analysis
Abstract The precautionary principle is in sharp political focus today because (1) the nature of scientific uncertainty is changing and (2) there is increasing pressure to base governmental action on more "rational" schemes, such as cost-benefit analysis and quantitative risk assessment...
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| Language: | en_US |
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2002
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/1587 |
| _version_ | 1811078326078406656 |
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| author | Ashford, Nicholas A. |
| author_facet | Ashford, Nicholas A. |
| author_sort | Ashford, Nicholas A. |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Abstract
The precautionary principle is in sharp political focus today because (1) the nature of scientific uncertainty is
changing and (2) there is increasing pressure to base governmental action on more "rational" schemes, such as
cost-benefit analysis and quantitative risk assessment, an embodiment of "rational choice theory" promoted by the
Chicago school of law and economics. The precautionary principle has been criticized as being both too vague and
too arbitrary to form a basis for rational decision making. The assumption underlying this criticism is that any
scheme not based on cost-benefit analysis and risk assessment is both irrational and without secure foundation in
either science or economics. This paper contest that view and makes explicit the rational tenets of the precautionary
principle within an analytical framework as rigorous as uncertainties permit, and one that mirrors democratic values
embodied in regulatory, compensatory, and common law. Unlike other formulations that reject risk assessment, this
paper argues that risk assessment can be used within the formalism of tradeoff analysis--a more appropriate
alternative to traditional cost-benefit analysis and one that satisfies the need for well-grounded public policy decision
making. This paper will argue that the precautionary approach is the most appropriate basis for policy, even when
large uncertainties do not exist, especially where the fairness of the distributions of costs and benefits of hazardous
activities and products are a concern. Furthermore, it will offer an approach to making decisions within an analytic
framework, based on equity and justice, to replace the economic paradigm of utilitarian cost-benefit analysis |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T10:57:49Z |
| id | mit-1721.1/1587 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T10:57:49Z |
| publishDate | 2002 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/15872019-04-12T07:30:19Z Implementing A Precautionary Approach in Decisions Affecting Health, Safety, and the Environment: Risk, Technology Alternatives, and Tradeoff Analysis Ashford, Nicholas A. law and regulation health, safety, and the environment technology alternatives Abstract The precautionary principle is in sharp political focus today because (1) the nature of scientific uncertainty is changing and (2) there is increasing pressure to base governmental action on more "rational" schemes, such as cost-benefit analysis and quantitative risk assessment, an embodiment of "rational choice theory" promoted by the Chicago school of law and economics. The precautionary principle has been criticized as being both too vague and too arbitrary to form a basis for rational decision making. The assumption underlying this criticism is that any scheme not based on cost-benefit analysis and risk assessment is both irrational and without secure foundation in either science or economics. This paper contest that view and makes explicit the rational tenets of the precautionary principle within an analytical framework as rigorous as uncertainties permit, and one that mirrors democratic values embodied in regulatory, compensatory, and common law. Unlike other formulations that reject risk assessment, this paper argues that risk assessment can be used within the formalism of tradeoff analysis--a more appropriate alternative to traditional cost-benefit analysis and one that satisfies the need for well-grounded public policy decision making. This paper will argue that the precautionary approach is the most appropriate basis for policy, even when large uncertainties do not exist, especially where the fairness of the distributions of costs and benefits of hazardous activities and products are a concern. Furthermore, it will offer an approach to making decisions within an analytic framework, based on equity and justice, to replace the economic paradigm of utilitarian cost-benefit analysis 2002-08-14T12:00:00Z 2002-08-14T12:00:00Z 2002-08-14T12:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/1587 en_US 154646 bytes application/pdf application/pdf |
| spellingShingle | law and regulation health, safety, and the environment technology alternatives Ashford, Nicholas A. Implementing A Precautionary Approach in Decisions Affecting Health, Safety, and the Environment: Risk, Technology Alternatives, and Tradeoff Analysis |
| title | Implementing A Precautionary Approach in Decisions Affecting Health, Safety, and the Environment: Risk, Technology Alternatives, and Tradeoff Analysis |
| title_full | Implementing A Precautionary Approach in Decisions Affecting Health, Safety, and the Environment: Risk, Technology Alternatives, and Tradeoff Analysis |
| title_fullStr | Implementing A Precautionary Approach in Decisions Affecting Health, Safety, and the Environment: Risk, Technology Alternatives, and Tradeoff Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Implementing A Precautionary Approach in Decisions Affecting Health, Safety, and the Environment: Risk, Technology Alternatives, and Tradeoff Analysis |
| title_short | Implementing A Precautionary Approach in Decisions Affecting Health, Safety, and the Environment: Risk, Technology Alternatives, and Tradeoff Analysis |
| title_sort | implementing a precautionary approach in decisions affecting health safety and the environment risk technology alternatives and tradeoff analysis |
| topic | law and regulation health, safety, and the environment technology alternatives |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/1587 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ashfordnicholasa implementingaprecautionaryapproachindecisionsaffectinghealthsafetyandtheenvironmentrisktechnologyalternativesandtradeoffanalysis |