. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Rachel's Precaution Reporter #51"Foresight and Precaution, in the News and in the World"Wednesday, August 16, 2006...........Printer-friendly versionwww.rachel.org -- To make a secure donation, click here. |
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Table of Contents Edition American Nurses Association Adopts Precautionary Approach In October, 2003, the American Nurses Association formally adopted a precautionary approach, focusing on the prevention of hazards. "The precautionary principle states that if it is within one's power, there is an ethical imperative to prevent rather than merely treat disease, even in the face of scientific uncertainty." The Precautionary Approach; Thinking Like a Nurse What does it mean for a nurse to take a precautionary approach to occupational hazards and to the health of patients? Charlotte Brody and Ann Melamed offer five specific steps a nurse can take to implement precaution. The Genetically Modified Foods Debate Two nurses examine the issues surrounding genetically modified foods and conclude that, until more is known, a precautionary approach is called for. An Important Ruling from the WTO on Genetically Modified Foods "At the heart of the dispute is the right of countries, in light of their international trade obligations, to control the introduction into their markets of GMOs.... The dispute was viewed by some as a contest between the environmentalists' 'precautionary principle' and the more traditional view that hard scientific support is needed to justify banning a product on the basis of health concerns." 'J'accuse!' Says a Canadian to His Government "I accuse the governments, federal and provincial, of deliberately covering up environmental degradation that will, given just a little more time, make this world unlivable." Enforcing the 'Polluter Pays' Principle in South Africa "While the polluter pays principle is part of South Africa's legal framework, cases tying emissions to particular companies are rare due to lack of monitoring and data collection." ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Rachel's Precaution Reporter offers news, views and practical examples of the Precautionary Principle, or Foresight Principle, in action. The Precautionary Principle is a modern way of making decisions, to minimize harm. Rachel's Precaution Reporter tries to answer such questions as, Why do we need the precautionary principle? Who is using precaution? Who is opposing precaution? We often include attacks on the precautionary principle because we believe it is essential for advocates of precaution to know what their adversaries are saying, just as abolitionists in 1830 needed to know the arguments used by slaveholders. Rachel's Precaution Reporter is published as often as necessary to provide readers with up-to-date coverage of the subject. As you come across stories that illustrate the precautionary principle -- or the need for the precautionary principle -- please Email them to us at rpr@rachel.org. Editors: Peter Montague - peter@rachel.org Tim Montague - tim@rachel.org ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: To start your own free Email subscription to Rachel's Precaution Reporter send a blank Email to one of these addresses: Full HTML edition: join-rpr-html@gselist.org Table of Contents edition: join-rpr-toc@gselist.org In response, you will receive an Email asking you to confirm that you want to subscribe. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: |
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