Precautionary Principle Essay

According to Pederson (2010) the environmental principles are very important when it comes to the shaping of decisions, development of policies and environmental governance worldwide. “In layman’s words, the precautionary principle can be taken to mean ‘better safe than sorry’ or prevention is better than cure’; the principle thus assumes actions prior to an activity being carried out and before its results are unknown”(Pederson 2010, p.29). Whereas the equity principle involves a need for the reasonable and equitable distribution of gains and loses so that everyone can have a quality standard of living (Beder, 2006). Both these principles are part in an international and domestic environmental law and policy (Pederson, 2006). However, this

The stronger version of the Precautionary Principle on the other hand says that, “positive action must be taken to avoid or mitigate the potential harm; if the harm is judged unacceptable or serious and irreversible” (Beder 2006, p. 70). It also says that there is need for intervention before possible harm occurs or “before certainty about such harm can be achieved” (Beder 2006, p. 70). However, there are some critiques concerning this principle; for instance, there is ignorance and indeterminacy; where indeterminacy is when scientist fails to show the accuracy of the scientific and social assumptions on which our assessment of risk is based (Beder, 2006). There are also scientific uncertainties where scientist cannot inform policy makers the extent of pollutants in an environment and how it will have an impact on the health of people and biotic communities (Beder,

According to Beder (2006) inequities may cause environmental problems, this is because poverty leads to environmental degradation and over-exploitation of resources. Secondly, equity principle also looks at occupation inequalities for instance, miners are prone to higher health risk than the rest of the community. In addition, “ethnicity, race and colour seem to be a significant factor in determining who is exposed to environmental burdens” (Beder 2006, p. 82). There is environmental unevenness in South Africa; an example of equity principle is Umlazi landfill site that was developed around 1986 in order to put nearly all toxic of industrials waste taken from Durban, affects the locals in terms of health issues and it degrades their environment (Leonard & Pelling,