precautionary principle
Better safe than sorry
The precautionary principle holds that if an action or policy might cause serious or irreversible harm, the burden of proof falls on those proposing it—not on those raising concerns.
It's invoked in environmental and public health debates: The precautionary principle suggests we shouldn't approve the chemical until long-term studies are complete.
Critics argue it can stifle innovation by demanding impossible certainty.
- better safe than sorryPrudence over risk
- safety firstPrioritize precaution always
- environmentalismAdvocacy for nature protection
- preventionStopping something before occurring
- do no harmAvoid causing injury
sustainable development · public health · toxic chemicals · genetically modified · carrying capacity · food security · legal liability · risk management · climate change · overconsumption · conservation · due diligence · resiliency · worst-case scenario · unknown unknowns · tipping point · reversibility · risk-benefit analysis
precautionary principletechno-utopianism
Faith that innovation solves all
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