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Article: Europe and the United States on Precaution.(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Environment
- Article date:
- May 1, 2000
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 Heldref Publications. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The precautionary principle is held very dear by Europeans. It emerged during the 1970s in former West Germany amid deep public concern over acid rain, toxic waste disposal, and early signs of climate change. At the time, the Willy Brandt socialist government, with its unique ideological blend of social care and private enterprise, was in power. People regarded precaution as a sign of good government, sensible regulation, and sound science, erring on the side of caution when knowledge was limited and prediction somewhat speculative. (For more on the precautionary principle, see the article by Robert Costanza and Laura Cornwell in the November 1992 issue of Environment.)
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