Precautionary Principle
The precautionary principle, which states “where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation,” should be considered when discussing all of our environmental regulations (CEPA Environmental Registry, 2007). This isn’t to say that all chemicals and substances require a thorough assessment; rather that chemicals and substances that have the potential to harm human health or the health of the environment should be evaluated. Many companies research only the aspects of their product that they want to promote, thus ignoring significant effects that it may have under other circumstances. Only so much research can be completed before funds and time run out. But this doesn’t mean that caution shouldn’t be used once the product leaves the trial run stages.
Should there be any negative consequences to applying the precautionary principle, major companies will initially be the ones to show any adverse effects. In order to make the effort of preventing a major crisis, time, effort, and funds are required for proper planning and assessment of products and services. Major companies depend on the success of their products, which then provide many jobs and benefits to the public. By applying this principle, it may take a lot longer to get the product or service onto the market, thus decreasing the amount of profit coming in. However, if this principle is not considered, then the negative effects will be felt by the public. If this was the case, then a clean-up would be in order, which in many cases costs the company and the government more time and effort then the research that could have been done in the first place.
The Media in a Critical Light
The media is responsible for presenting the current issues that members in society are debating. How seriously the viewer or reader may take the presented information depends on the source it came from. There are two main forms of media, print and non-print. Printed material can further be divided into investigative journalism and columns. All these forms vary in their amount of credibility.
Non-print media, or what people see on news stations or hear on the radio, often presents a story summarized into a thirty second event with the hope of getting a certain reaction. Therefore, the accuracy, precision, breadth, and depth of the information does not exist. At the time it may seem relevant and even logical, but upon further consideration it will show contradictions and a lack of information. The purpose is often to get a reaction from the public, not to present the story. In this fashion, the telling of what happened during this event would have many holes in the plot, for details are often omitted for the sake of getting the headline told more quickly. This is not said to prevent people from watching news channels, but rather to remind them to keep an open mind.
Columns in newspapers share many similarities with the broadcast perspective. Columnists are presenting one take on the event, concentrating on the details that he or she deem important. As a result, clarity is provided because the columnist will make sure that the public understands why this perspective is the right view. Therefore precision, or detail, and support relevant to that view will be provided. However, in terms of breadth and depth of an argument, this is where the article will lack. A perspective must show both views so that a person can establish his or her own opinion. Accuracy of information is most clearly seen when both views with supporting evidence are written side-by-side. However, columns can be credited for sticking to the purpose of making the public share their opinions on a given event or topic.
Hence, investigative journalism is said to be the most accurate of media forms because they are supposed to present all the observed details on a given situation. The article should have clarity, or be written in a way that everyone understands what happened and how this event may play out. Therefore, precision through necessary details about the event, as well as relevance and accuracy should be shown. Breadth can be revealed through insights from other related incidents, and depth may be shown with further analysis of the situation. Though no point of view is supposed to be evident, it is not possible to keep certain assumptions out of the work.
A good way to compare media sources is to find related reports in a journal, a newspaper column, and a television broadcast. For example, the news is often comparing the various government parties and the actions of certain key members. How the television channel portrays that person is completely different than the papers. The images published of a given politician or celebrity often reveals the biases of the person writing the story.
CEPA Environmental Registry. CEPA 1999 guiding principles and other policies. [Online]. Avail from: http://www.ec.gc.ca/ceparegistry/subs_list/
ExSubOverview/overviewofesp_p2.cfm [2007 Apr 19]
