At least eight of the reasons why the precautionary approach is slippery will be discussed. The talk will end with a few cautions about precaution. The precautionary approach will not save the world. It has little to say about the enormous problems of population growth, poverty and over-consumption. The precautionary approach also has a long, long way to go.
Most States have yet to include the precautionary approach in legislation.
Only Nova Scotia, among the Provinces, has enshrined the precautionary approach in general environmental legislation. The concluding remark will likely try to tie together precaution with other key principles such as ecosystem management and integration.