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Look before you leap
12:11pm Friday 22nd June 2007
By Peter Norton »
The ‘Precautionary Principle’ is a well established scientific principle. It is a response to uncertainty, particularly in the face of risks to health or the environment. In general,
it involves acting to avoid serious or irreversible potential harm.There may be no evidence to suggest there will be harm, but there may also be no evidence to suggest that there will not be.
When making their cases both those that are ‘for’ certain technologies, and those that are ‘against’, can use this principle to back up their point of view.
Take the recent ‘Wi-Fi’ radiation debate as an example. There are concerns that the level and type of radiation given off by wireless computer systems could have harmful side effects. The
chair of the Health Protection Agency, Sir William Stewart, is so concerned he has called for an official investigation, and Professor of human radiation at Bristol University, Dennis Henshaw told
the Independent on Sunday ‘The research hasn’t been done. Therefore we cannot assume that there are no effects,’
Yet half of UK primary schools already have wi-fi systems. Phone companies point out that there is no evidence to say that it is not safe. What we do know is that children are more vulnerable to
radio frequency radiation emissions than adults, should we be taking the risk ?
As with other debates that involve unproven technologies, such as Genetically Modified food, we must ask some questions: Who will benefit? Who is funding the research? Is it really wanted or needed?
In the case of GM food, consumers vote with their wallets. The organic food sector is increasing at twice the rate of the conventional grocery market because people are concerned about food safety,
and GM food is absent from the shelves.
Given that, in reality, we know very little about biological and ecological systems, and how it all inter-relates, then how can we be sure that these developments will not affect our health and
environment in the future ?
It wasn’t so long ago that DDT was considered a safe pesticide, and cigarettes weren’t harmful to our health.
Personally, I have no desire to be a guinea pig in an open-air global laboratory. It is only by proceeding with caution that we have time to look around us to assess the wider impact of what we are
doing – had we been doing so for the last few decades, we might not be in such a mess.
Peter Norton
Your Say Your Herefordshire
SND, says...
11:24am Sat 30 Jun 07
more info below, love light laughter and peace, SND xxx
Live Earth is a 24-hour, 7-continent series taking place on 7/7/07 that will bring together more than 100 music artists and 2 billion people to trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis.
Live Earth will reach this worldwide audience through an unprecedented global media architecture covering all media platforms - TV, radio, Internet and wireless channels.
Live Earth marks the beginning of a multi-year campaign led by the Alliance for Climate Protection, The Climate Group and other international organizations to drive individuals, corporations and governments to take action to solve global warming. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore is the Chair of the Alliance and Partner of Live Earth.
Live Earth was founded by Kevin Wall, the Worldwide Executive Producer of Live 8, an event that brought together one of the largest audiences in history to combat poverty. Wall formed a partnership with Al Gore and the Alliance for Climate Protection to ensure that Live Earth inspires behavioral changes long after 7/7/07.
Live Earth will stage official concerts at Giants Stadium in New York; Wembley Stadium in London; Aussie Stadium in Sydney; Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro (this one is completely FREE and should attract up to a million people!!) ; Maropeng at the Cradle of Humankind in Johannesburg; Makuhari Messe in Tokyo; the Steps of the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai; and HSH Nordbank Arena in Hamburg.
Live Earth concerts will be broadcast to a live worldwide audience by MSN at www.LiveEarth.MSN.com.
With support from the U.S. Green Building Council, creators of the LEED Green Building Rating System, Live Earth will implement new Green Event Guidelines. All Live Earth venues will be designed and constructed by a team of sustainability engineers who will address the environmental and energy management challenges of each concert site, as well as the operations of sponsors, partners and other Live Earth affiliates. Each venue will not only be designed to maintain a minimum environmental impact, but will showcase the latest state-of-the-art energy efficiency, on-site power generation, and sustainable facilities management practices.
Live Earth is a project of the SOS campaign , which is using a powerful multimedia platform - films, television, radio, Internet, books, wireless and others - to move people to combat the climate crisis.
SND, says...
12:27pm Sat 30 Jun 07
Peter, says...
11:36am Tue 3 Jul 07
Your sayYour Herefordshire
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Sally, says...
5:28pm Fri 29 Jun 07