ALARA : An alternative policy tool to the precautionary principle

Posted by riskmonger on November 14, 2017

In my last blog, I briefly outlined seven reasons why the EU’s dependence on the precautionary principle (EEA interpretation) as its main environmental-health policy tool was destructive (to the public trust in science, to the environment, to public health and to a sustainable supply chain). Although a natural impulse, precaution uses a non-scientific logic that allows it to be manipulated by environmental activists and policy-makers. It should be relegated as a policy tool and certain EU directives and regulations should be revised and clarified before the damage becomes irreversible.
Revised to what? You cannot just remove a major policy tool without considerations for how people act or respond to situations. Fortunately there is an alternative to precaution that we also have been using, but the tendency is less reactive, more rational (and it does not lead to catastrophic consequences).............

ALARA stands for As Low As Reasonably Achievable. It is not a new concept, it is how researchers and responsible businesses think and act. I would call it “common sense”. Any research engagement, any innovation first discovers, then develops and then refines. Any human aspiration is to make things better, and where there are risks, it is natural to want to reduce exposure to them.

Unlike precaution, which is black or white (prove to me that mobile phones are safe, then you can sell them), ALARA promotes a continuous process of improvement. The discussion is not over whether something is safe or not, but rather, given the risks, costs and benefits, what is reasonably achievable. Reason enters into the dialogue: is this the best product, substance or process to achieve this benefit; if so, how can we reduce the risks further or refine the process? Can you meet that target? In what time-frame? This is what happened with the mobile phone industry and they were very successful (although I had personally witnessed how the EEA’s David Gee threatened the mobile phone industry at a Commission EMF conference in 2009 that their mandate could be revoked).........To Read More....