Preventology: Bring back prevention Mickey Glantz Raw thoughts

Adages about prevention An once of prevention is worth a pound of cure Look before you leap Better safe than sorry To be forewarned is to be forearmed A stitch in time saves nine

Why care about prevention? To reduce risk to foreseeable threats To reduce exposure to threats To avoid foreseeable problems To work toward sustainability a positive approach to coping with hazards To minimize potential damage to life and property Saves resources: people, income, property, assets, time Protect public image Protect people from harm Prevent/reduce legal liability Protect the environment

Prevention: the 3rd leg on a stool To cope wit hazards and talk about adaptation and mitigation and not talk about prevention is analogous to clapping with one hand.

Political responses to climate change The history climate change discussion Early 1980s US focus was on prevention, not adaptation or mitigation Adaptation was seen as ‘giving up’ Mitigation referred to softening the impacts of extremes In mid 1980s there was a shift to adaptation and mitigation because of realization that they could not prevent global warming even if fossil fuel emissions were halted today

What’s in a word? The climate scientists have commandeered the concepts of adaptation and mitigation These are presented as the only 2 options with no mention of prevention

Prevention is the first step to a better future Cannot prevent what has been emitted till now but can prevent new activities from contributing to the existing problems.

“Damnages” = known adverse impacts that are allowed to take place Preventing also works hand in hand with adaptation and mitigation In a few ways: We can focus on preventing the ripple effects of an impact of adaptation or mitigation. Prevention is the 3rd leg of the tripod along with adaptation and mitigation Prevent collateral damage

Can there be a culture of prevention?

Can there be a sub-field of prevention? Prevention is more than just an early warning of a threat or a hazard