Safe Speed Forums

Why I hate the precautionary principle

Here is the definition from the edexcel 360 Science text book


Precautionary principle: Another way of “playing safe”. With global warming it means that it is safer to reduce the amount of fossil fuels we burn, even if we can’t prove that this is the cause of the problem.


So remove global warming the definition is pretty much stop doing something because we THINK (however illogical) that something is the cause of the problem, and we can do this and we do not have to PROVE (using scientific evidence) that it is the (a) cause of the problem.


It is not the thinking of rational intelligent people, it spits in the face of science, YET people treat it like it is a very scientific principle when it does not require evidence or any proof.

So any loon with a crackpot theory can jump up and down shouting “precautionary principle” and it is given the time of day. Like that Doctor talking about banning butter (arse), that’s a relief I always felt guilty about putting butter in my pitta when I had a large donor kebab with the salad (to get the five a day).

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Oct 11 Birmingham Half Marathon. I am running for the British Heart Foundation.
http://www.justgiving.com/Rob-Taylor

The precautionary principle 1350 style!

Of course everybody "knew" that the Black Death was spread by witches.

And everybody "Knew" that Cats were witches familiars

As a result, in an attempt to halt the spread of the disease, cats were rounded up in large numbers and put to death (Often grusomely)

Since the disease was actually spread by rodents this was NOT really very helpful!

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"The road to a police state is paved with public safety legislation"

Precautionary tale applied to motoring.

"Everyone" knows that speeding kills so we drop all speed limits to ridiculous levels, introduce speed limiters to vehicles and put speed cameras on evry road...result, the death rate goes up and we are not even on the league table for safe countries...

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

"Who are you who are so wise in the ways of science?"