In discussions of the coal seam gas issue, the precautionary principle is regularly invoked as a reason to abandon or delay the development of the industry. But what is the precautionary principle? And how does it apply to the issues surrounding the development of coal seam gas?
A deceptively simple principle
It is common to refer to “the” precautionary principle. However, there is no such beast – at least, there is no single, consensus wording of the precautionary principle. It is an idea that has evolved over time, and found written expression in different ways. While those one-sentence statements of the principle seem clear enough on first reading, using it as a practical decision-making tool is, as is often the case, far less straightforward.
Crikey
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