That is a sobering review, Brian. I think we need to keep hold of a sense of
optimism about matter when rational positions are put forth. I have long
appreciated Ghandi's observation: "An error does not become truth by reason of
multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it." We
are getting stuck is the first half of that obervation but it doesn't mean
we can't find our way to bring a light to the second with continued effort.
Thanks for sharing your always interesting and insightful thoughts
Best,
Joe
In a message dated 5/12/2008 2:04:09 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
Graham
I doubt whether your chappie will have that much influence, if that
article is accurately reported. IMHO, the journalist has not even
understood what the precautionary principle even means.
Let's look at the definition (incidentally not the original one but
seriously modified) he uses:
'When an activity raises threats of serious or irreversible harm to
human health or the environment, precautionary measures that prevent the
possibility of harm shall be taken even if the causal link between the
activity and the possible harm has not been proven or the causal link is
weak and the harm is unlikely to occur.'
Note the phrase 'threats of serious or irreversible harm'. What does
this mean? The SOED defines threat as:
'A declaration of an intention to take some hostile action; esp. a
declaration of an intention to inflict pain, injury, damage, or other
punishment in retribution for something done or not done'
Obviously, this is a great deal stronger than 'something may happen'; it
means that 'something WILL happen, unless... It does not use the word
'doubt' but 'threat'.
He then goes on to state that Marie Curie would not have died if the PP
had been applied. This is utter and complete nonsense. She had no idea
that there was, indeed, a threat or even a doubt (nor had Roentgen who
suffered a similar fate and was the one who was the forerunner of X-ray
therapy, not Curie as implied in the article). Google states: "Her death
near Sallanches, Savoy, in 1934 was from aplastic anemia, almost
certainly due to exposure to radiation, as the damaging effects of
ionising radiation were not yet known, and much of her work had been
carried out in a shed with no safety measures. She had carried test
tubes containing radioactive isotopes in her pocket and stored them in
her desk drawer, remarking on the pretty blue-green light the substances
gave off in the dark." Note aplastic anaemia, not leukaemia, as your
guru states, and that, even in 1934 "the damaging effects of ionising
radiation were not yet known".
It may make exceedingly good popular journalism by Brendan O'Neill,
obviously with a good dose of the Blarney Stone, but if I were Sir
Colin, and that had been published about me, I would be very seriously
worried. If the journalist had quoted me verbatim, I would try to save
my reputation. If, as is probably the case, the journalist had taken
extreme liberties with what I said, I would take him to court for
misrepresentation and defamation.
Whatever, the article is so ludicrous, it can carry little weight and
does not present Sir Colin in a good light as a scientist. I suggest it
is, in reality, a journalist's attempt at disinformation engendered by a
private agenda.
The PP was never applied to RoHS, as many think. I know, for a fact,
that no risk assessment for either the environment or health was ever
conducted. Without assessing the risks, how can one determine the
presence of a 'threat of serious or irreversible harm'? They licked
their thumb, stuck it in the air, determined there was a summer zephyr
and said that there was a hurricane on its way. The moving force was
purely political, not scientific, with a good dose of vested interests
thrown in.
I have been personally involved with a case of PP. I don't have time to
give a blow-by-blow account, as it lasted over 12 years. Briefly, I
suggested that the PP should be internationally applied to a substance
that was known to cause environmental damage, but to a partially unknown
extent, and whose toxicology was considered very risky, with
considerable supporting evidence but no definitive proof. The deciding
international body did not wish to ban it under the PP but made
recommendations to use it as little and as well as possible, instead.
The grounds were that the extent of the environmental damage could not
be accurately gauged. I cite this because it shows the PP is not applied
lightly without a very good reason - and the body in question was the
same that first published the PP for environmental reasons!
Best regards,
Brian
Graham Naisbitt wrote:
> Fellow Techies
>
> Having just caught up with a few days of missed postings, I see that
> there continues to be some well founded concerns regarding the
> machinations in Brussels.
>
> Well, I had the privilege of playing golf recently with a man who
> carries a good deal of influence - and Brussels are very concerned about
> the strength of the "green brigade" and the legislation they have pushed
> through. I thought you might like to read this:
>
> http://www.spiked-online.com/Articles/0000000CA592.htm
>
> He gave me some encouragement that maybe, just maybe, common sense might
> be making a comeback.
>
> Kindest regards
> Graham Naisbitt
> Managing Director
>
>
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