Precautionary Principle: In Defense of Common Sense Richard Berman City of Santa Monica (310)

It is Not Common Sense To: The Construction Manager “When I started in this business … Now you need a piece of paper in your hand before you can put one foot in front of the other.”

It is Not Common Sense To: The U.C. Berkeley Professor (Political Science and Public Health) “Precautionary Principle … is a marvelous piece of rhetoric.”

Common Sense and Critical Thinking Make explicit the sense in common sense Internal logical consistency does not always confer validity. Examine our assumed ways of thinking, and the premises we unconsciously accept.

Premise 1 Acknowledges Traditional Economic Buffering Market Capitalism –The primary mediator of economic activity and use of technology since 1750 to present –Historically externalizes and buffers negatives. Challenges traditional economic buffers.

Premise 2 Changes In Science and Knowledge Ecology and Systems Theory Toxicology and Epidemiology Accident Literature What a scientist knows v. believes Language and method for complexity and uncertainty that challenges historic ignorance.

Premise 3 Incorporates Expansion of Democratic Ideal Race Ethnicity Gender Religion Sexual Preference Rights of Nature Environmental Quality Community Right To Know Environmental Justice Gives voice to traditionally externalized interests.

Premises and Tenets of Precautionary Principle Alternatives Analysis Costs Analysis Public Process Science & Knowledge No Economic Buffering Challenges Ignorance Expansion of Democratic Ideal Premises Tenets

Alternatives Analysis 1 What does this mean to the traditional economic agent or activity? Why might it not appear as common sense?

Alternatives Analysis 2 BEFORE PP Economic activity is mediated by classic economic competition only. WITH PP Economic activity is not buffered from consideration of a breadth of alternatives. Premise 1: Challenges traditional economic buffers.

Alternatives Analysis 3 EXAMPLE: Fuel Oxygenates / Pesticides ECONOMIC COMPETITION MTBE (petrol) Chemical Pesticides ALTERNATIVES COMPETITION Ethanol (corn) No oxygenate Integrated Pest Mgmt.

Public Process 1 Who is else is represented by a more Public Decision Making Process? Communities (geographical, economic, ethnic…) Vulnerable populations (elderly, children …) Environment (Locally, regionally, globally) Resources held in common

Public Process 2 What does this mean to the traditional economic agent?

Public Process 3 BEFORE PP Economic agent and partners can prioritizing self- interest. WITH PP Economic agent and partners are subject to a more public, societal decision making process. Premise 1: Challenges traditional economic buffers. Premise 3: Gives voice to traditionally externalized interests

Public Process 4 EXAMPLE: Incinerator ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS Municipal Waste Incinerator without community input. CONSIDERATION OF OTHERS Concerned Citizens of South Central Los Angeles

Public Process 5 What has it historically meant to the the general public not to have a public decision making process? First warnings of harm have been ignored. see “Trade Secrets” with Bill Moyers Environmental Injustice PCB body burden of infants v. Hazwopper

Science / Knowledge 1 What does this mean to the traditional economic agent?

Science / Knowledge 2 BEFORE PP Economic activity is buffered by ignorance or uncertainty. WITH PP Economic activity is subject to full breadth of information. Science and its uncertainties are only one of tools. Premise 2: Challenges historic ignorance Premise 1: Challenges traditional economic buffers.

Science / Knowledge 3 EXAMPLE: Polar Bears and Seals ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS Economic activity buffered from knowledge of ecological relationships. CONSIDERATION OF OTHER Domoic acid poisoning of seals Dioxins in polar bears

Costs Analysis 1 What does this mean to the traditional economic agent? Why might it not appear as common sense?

Costs Analysis 2 BEFORE PP Economic activity is subject to cost analysis w/ classic boundaries of economic activity. WITH PP Economic activity is also subject to a broader cost analysis. Premise 2: Challenges historic ignorance Premise 1: Challenges traditional economic buffers. Premise 3: Gives voice to traditionally externalized interests

Costs Analysis 3 EXAMPLE: Household Hazardous Waste ECONOMIC CONSIDERATION Purchase of household chemical products. EXTERNAL CONSIDERATIONS Safety and Costs of use and disposal of these products (consumers, trash haulers, landfills etc.)

Common Sense in Precautionary Principle 1.The world is ‘smaller’ 2.All our actions are less buffered 3.Sciences / knowledge for complexity 4.More inclusive democracies Precautionary Principle is a foundation to meet this challenge.

Road TO the Present May Not Be Acceptable IN The Present Rich Berman City of Santa Monica