The Future of the Precautionary Principle

New technology is developed at a continuously increasing pace every day. For some people the world is changing almost too quickly to grasp. In today’s world, where something new is created every day, it is easy to fear new technology and its potential harms. The same question always applies: Is the potential risk worth the reward? This thought process is intended to determine if the benefit to society outweighs the cost of a given product. I agree that safety should be taken with new advancements in technology and science of all kinds, but problems arise when this precaution is taken to an extreme level that in turn halts the progress that defines human nature. The precautionary principle is too radical to effectively moderate today’s technological development.

The Precautionary Principle is a principle developed with good intentions. It was created to give certain people and groups a safety net of protection against things they felt unsafe or unsure about. The Principle has been applied in a various amount of ways in multiple types of legislation and treaties. It has been adopted by groups such as the European Commission as well as the City of San Francisco. The Precautionary Principle, defined as the Wingspread Statement in Bernard Goldstein’s article states:

“When an activity raises threat upon to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically.”

The Principle effectively states that a corporation, or responsible party, is guilty until proven innocent. This is not a beneficial attitude in today’s society. It is in our constitution that a man is innocent until proven guilty. It makes little sense that this concept would not cross over into industry. The principle gives people the power to point their finger at a technology or development they don’t like and halt that industry. Looking after people’s welfare should be first priority, but...