The Precautionary Principle Timeline

1
The Precautionary Principle A Primer
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
Click mouse to advance text slide. To explore
Links return to slide show, RIGHT CLICK on
LINKS and OPEN IN NEW WINDOWTurn off Pop-Up
blockers to view links
2
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
An early use of the precautionary principle to
prevent the spread of cholera in London by John
Snow -removing the water pump handle
1854England
Click mouse to advance text slide.RIGHT CLICK
on LINKS and OPEN IN NEW WINDOW
3
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
U.S. Public Health Service promoted precautionary
action, but failed to keep lead out of gasoline.
1923U.S.
Read more from these pdf files. Rachels
Environment and Health News. Part I Part II
Click mouse to advance text slide.RIGHT CLICK
on LINKS and OPEN IN NEW WINDOW
4
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
Precautionary Principle (PP) emerged in the
former West Germany as Vorsorgeprinzip or
foresight The state should seek to avoid
environmental damage by exercising foresight in
is decisions and actions.
1970sGermany
5
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
The German government used the PP to justify the
implementation of vigorous policies to tackle
acid rain, global warming, and pollution of the
North Sea
1980Germany
6
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
PP was given International recognition at the
First International Convention on Protection of
the North Sea, designed to protect the North Sea
ecosystem from further degradation from
persistent toxic substances.
1984Intl
7
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
Pollution Prevention Act - set prevention as the
highest priority in environmental programs in the
United States.
1990U.S.
8
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
The Rio Declaration from the 1992 United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development is one
of the most important international statement on
the precautionary principle.
1992Intl
9
"In order to protect the environment, the
precautionary approach shall be widely applied by
States according to their capabilities.
Where there are threats of serious or
irreversible damage, lack of full scientific
certainty shall not be used as a reason for
postponing cost-effective measures to prevent
environmental degradation."
--The Rio Declaration from the 1992 United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development
Click mouse to advance text slide.RIGHT CLICK
on LINKS and OPEN IN NEW WINDOW
10
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
Environmental Health Network and the National
Toxics Campaign Fund call on health agencies to
apply precautionary public health principles in
matters of toxic waste and human exposure in
their report Inconclusive By Design
1992U.S.
Click mouse to advance text slide.RIGHT CLICK
on LINKS and OPEN IN NEW WINDOW
11
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
International Joint Commission (IJC) for the
Great Lakes region promoted the precautionary
principle.
1995Intl
Click mouse to advance text slide.RIGHT CLICK
on LINKS and OPEN IN NEW WINDOW
12
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
The American Public Health Association passed
resolution, "The Precautionary Principle and
Chemical Exposure Standards for the Workplace
9606, recognizing the need for precaution,
including the shifting of burdens of proof so
that every chemical is considered potentially
dangerous until its extent of toxicity is known.
1996U.S.
Click mouse to advance text slide.RIGHT CLICK
on LINKS and OPEN IN NEW WINDOW
13
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
U.S. President's Council on Sustainable
Development ...in the face of scientific
uncertainty, society should take reasonable
actions to avert risks where the potential harm
to human health or the environment is thought to
be serious or irreparable."
1996U.S.
14
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
1997Northern U.S.
Massachusetts adopts progressive form of the
precautionary principle in a law that sets goals
and to reduce toxics Toxics Use Reduction
Click mouse to advance text slide.RIGHT CLICK
on LINKS and OPEN IN NEW WINDOW
15
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
Participants at The Wingspread Conference on
Implementing the Precautionary Principle issued a
consensus statement calling for and defining the
principle-- "When an activity raises threats of
human health or the environment, precautionary
measures should be taken even if some cause and
effect relationships are not fully established
scientifically"
1998Intl
Click mouse to advance text slide.RIGHT CLICK
on LINKS and OPEN IN NEW WINDOW
16
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
ECO-Action launches Need to Know Initiative --an
action education program promoting the
precautionary principle in evaluating endocrine
disrupting chemicals.
2000Southern U.S.
Click mouse to advance text slide.RIGHT CLICK
on LINKS and OPEN IN NEW WINDOW
17
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic
Pollutants (POPs) included now taking
precautionary action to phase out and elimination
of twelve persistent organic pollutants.
2001Intl
Mirex 
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) 
Aldrin
Chlordane
DDT
Dieldrin 
Endrin
Heptachlor 
Toxaphene 
Dioxins 
Hexachlorobenzene 
Furans 
18
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
REACH- Registration, Evaluation, Authorization of
chemicals. Goal is to create a chemical policy
that is protective of public health and the
environment in Europe.
2001European Union
Read more on REACH from The Lowell Center for
Sustainable Production at the Univ. of
Massachusetts Lowell. Go to next slide for a
Contrast of REACH to the U.S. Toxic Substances
Control Act
Click mouse to advance text slide.RIGHT CLICK
on LINKS and OPEN IN NEW WINDOW
19
European Union Registration, Evaluation and
Authorization of Chemicals (REACH)
United States Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
vs.

• REACH is based on a precautionary approach
  industry has the burden of testing and assuring
  safety of all the chemicals they use. Governments
  can restrict chemicals based on their inherent
  dangers rather than proof of harm
• REACH does not differentiate between new and
  existing chemicals.
• REACH does not allow regulated chemicals to be
  put on the market unless data are provided (no
  data, no market!).
• Industry will pay for REACH through registration
  fees.

• TSCA is based on proving harm before acting the
  burden of proof rests on government to
  demonstrate that a chemical will present an
  unreasonable risk before EPA can act.
• Under TSCA, EPA can only regulate chemicals put
  on the market after 1981 lt1 by volume of
  chemicals on the market.
• TSCA allows large quantities of chemicals to be
  used in everyday products without any health or
  ecological data.
• TSCA is paid for by taxpayer dollars.

Outlined by Frank Bove, Epidemiologist
20
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
San Francisco Board of Supervisors adopted the
first Precautionary Principle Ordinance as City
and County policy. The first in the United
States.
2003West Coast U.S.
Click mouse to advance text slide.RIGHT CLICK
on LINKS and OPEN IN NEW WINDOW
21
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
In Schools, the 2nd largest in the country, the
Los Angeles Unified School District, adopts the
Precautionary Principle in implementing a least
toxic, low risk pest management policy.
2003West Coast U.S.
See Policy
Click mouse to advance text slide.RIGHT CLICK
on LINKS and OPEN IN NEW WINDOW
22
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
Environmental Health Alliance launched the BE
SAFE (right click open in new window) national
campaign for promoting the Precautionary Principle
2003U.S.
23
The Precautionary Principle Timeline
Local Precautionary Principle Ordinances being
adopted, state bills being proposed.
2004U.S.
Resources of Policies Position Statements
Click here to return to Lesson