Adopting a Precautionary Approach...Sustainability At Its Best

The world around us depends on our understanding ... and on our ability to gauge reasonable and acceptable steps when it comes to our actions as the Shepard of our environment.

When we pollute we need to recognize our impact on the earth and act to correct our mistakes. When we create new science, be that chemical applications for use in agriculture, or construction, or energy, or for the elimination of pests...we need to think our steps through and act with reason before we deploy our inventions to 'solve' our perceived problems.

We are, after all, accountable to the earth and to all of the creatures on the earth for our actions. We need to preserve all life, for we are part of a biosphere...not set apart from it. We need to undertake a Precautionary approach to the introduction of chemicals, or to the Genetic Modification of animal species or plants... coming to understand what we have created before we blindly enter into an irreversible campaign which, once undertaken, may change our planet forever.

The three E's of Sustainability call for us to understand this and to raise it as one of our primary banners...Environment, Economy, and Equity... done effectively calls for society to demand a precautionary approach to all of our solutions to all of our issues and problems.

Places where we need to immediately apply this:

• Pesticides (weed and insects)... because chemicals that kill simple fungi (example) may also attach themselves to the food chain and kill all along the chain at each link.
• Geological exploration to improve the recovery of resources may threaten our air and water...through the release of toxins in any number of ways
• Development of current energy resources may leak...if preventive systems are not tested fully and backed up as needed
• Nuclear incidents due to natural or human disasters may out weigh the use of reactors for the production of energy
• GMO programs ... have no history to tell us what synthetic modifications produce long term...say 20...or 40...or 100 years down the road. Assuming we get that far after a GMO incident modifies our world around us.
• Or the over use of nutrients or application of newly developed nutrients on crops...may poison our waters beyond recovery, saturate them with nitrates and kill all the fish, or poison the birds and wild life that depend on that part of the food chain.

We need to take a precautionary approach to ensure sustainability of a safe environment, a healthy economy, and equity on a global and generational basis.