Progress is stifled. This keeps lifesaving drugs off the market for years. Yet for victims of life-threatening diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's, and AIDS, few side effects are a greater threat than their own medical condition, which these drugs could address. In the early 1990s, Peru cut the chlorination of its water supply, citing, among other things, an EPA report suggesting that chlorination might increase cancer rates. Yet this risk pales in comparison to the risks posed by waterborne disease.
Molds produce some of the most potent carcinogens found in nature.
Yet the EPA banned EDB after it was deemed a potential carcinogen. It is likely that the risk of EDB was less than that posed by aflatoxin, a known carcinogen that is produced by grain mold. The impact of the precautionary principle can be even broader than these specific results. In the case of genetically engineered crops, excessive precaution may slow down increases in agricultural productivity, improvements in nutritional content of foods, and innovations that reduce the use of pesticides. It is clear that food production must continue to expand in order to feed the world's expanding population.