Precautionary Principle and Skeptics

The framework of my previous post on the paper “Climate Science as Political Art”  by Wynne 2010 reminds me of something called the precautionary principle. This environmental law and ethical principle(not a scientific one!) it is that despite scientific uncertainties that may arise, certain precautionary measures and policies must be taken that could prevent the harm from being inflicted; any burden of proof that it is NOT harmful falls on those taking the action. it was coined in the 1990's by the UN, but many definitions are used by countries and international organizations, an issue in itself.  The burden part is being undertaken by every skeptic of climate change, and there are many. No one can really (intelligently) say extreme temperatures, sea level rise natural disasters (from global warming) are not harmful. So instead the approach is to say CO2 is good for the environment and we need it to live (yes but...) OR to simply say global warming is not happening at all.

This is a very important principle, and rather late in the game in 2006 Deloso finally wrote a paper on it, international law and climate change that explains it very well. It was even reviewed by an IPCC chairman.

Deloso, R.  2006. The Precautionary Principle - International Law and Climate Change, Munich, GRIN Publishing GmbH, http://www.grin.com/en/e-book/183852/the-precautionary-principle-international-law-and-climate-change

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 1992. Rio Declaration on Environment 

and Development. UNEP. Retrieved December 9, 2010.

World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST)

 2005. The Precautionary Principle). United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural 

Organization (UNESCO). 

Wynne, B. 2010. Strange Weather, Again Climate Science as Political Art. Theory, Culture & Society. March. 27. 2-3. 289-305.http://tcs.sagepub.com/content/27/2-3/289.short