Suchergebnisse

The interaction among species & chemicals in the food chain often yields potential outcomes that are difficult to foresee. In policy terms, these interactions comprise an information load beyond human cognition, resulting in unexpected side effects, eg, invasions of species, epidemics, air pollution, toxic substances, & endangered species. The policy process attempts to deal with the information problem by using: (1) an incremental approach, (2) a bounding approach, or (3) an uncertainty approach. Unfortunately, the bounding approach excludes all data on interactions outside the apparent cause/effect hypothesis. Possible approaches to augment & improve environmental policy, beyond the bounding approach, are: inquiring into uncertainties & side effects, choosing complex ecologies over simple ones, & sampling for uncertain risks by probability assessments. HA.

THE BOUNDING APPROACH OF THE POLICY PROCESS IN DEALING WITH THE INFORMATION PROBLEM EXCLUDES ALL DATA OUTSIDE THE APPARENT CAUSE /EFFECT HYPOTHESIS. POSSIBLE APPROACHES ARE TO INQUIRE INTO SIDE-EFFECTS AND UNCERTAINTIES, CHOSE COMPLEX ECOLOGIES OVER SIMPLE, AND SAMPLE FOR UNCERTAIN RISKS BY PROBABLITY ASSESSMENTS.