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Background: We are now in the fifth year of an ongoing pandemic, and Canada continues to experience significant surges of COVID-19 infections. In addition to the acute impacts of deaths and hospitalizations, there is growing awareness of an accumulation of organ damage and disability which is building a "health debt" that will affect Canadians for decades to come. Calls in 2023 for an inquiry into the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic went unheeded, despite relevant precedent. Canada urgently needs a comprehensive review of its successes and failures to chart a better response in the near- and long-term. Main body: While Canada fared better than many comparators in the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is clearly still in a public health crisis. Infections are not only affecting Canadians' daily lives but also eroding healthcare capacity. Post-COVID condition is having accumulating and profound individual, social, and economic consequences. An inquiry is needed to understand the current evidence underlying policy choices, identify a better course of action on various fronts, and build resilience. More must be done to reduce transmission, including a serious public education campaign to better inform Canadians about COVID and effective mitigations, especially the benefits of respirator masks. We need a national standard for indoor air quality to make indoor public spaces safer, particularly schools. Data collection must be more robust, especially to understand and mitigate the disproportionate impacts on under-served communities and high-risk populations. General confidence in public health must be rebuilt, with a focus on communication and transparency. In particular, the wide variation in provincial policies has sown mistrust: evidence-based policy should be consistent. Finally, Canada's early success in vaccination has collapsed, and this development needs a careful post-mortem. Conclusions: A complete investigation of Canada's response to the pandemic is not yet possible because that response is still ongoing and, while we have learned much, there remain areas of dispute and uncertainty. However, an inquiry is needed to conduct a rapid assessment of the current evidence and policies and provide recommendations on how to improve in 2025 and beyond as well as guidance for future pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When assessing the non-dietary risks for operators, workers, bystanders and residents to active substances in plant protection products (PPPs) that contain stereoisomers, the EFSA guidance on stereoisomers recommends the application of uncertainty factors when the initial ratio of stereoisomers undergoes a significant stereoisomeric excess change of more than 10%. This precautionary approach may be over-conservative in cases where the change in isomers is due to differences in their degradation rates rather than conversion of one isomer to a potentially more toxic isomer. Therefore, the impact of isomeric composition in non-dietary risk assessments of PPPs was evaluated, with particular emphasis on dislodgeable foliar residues (DFR) data and potential enantioselective degradation processes. Hypothetical outcomes are discussed as well as an evaluation of data for 5 compounds from a total of 35 DFR studies conducted under GLP, aimed at deriving DFR values for higher tier assessments. The findings indicate that possible isomerization of the active substance on leaves can be detected in DFR studies, which is essential for assessing risks to workers and residents. The results of this evaluation highlight the potential for over-conservatism of the current EFSA method for calculating uncertainty factors in non-dietary risk assessments. The EFSA method's reliance on worst-case assumptions, coupled with the lack of a formal statistical basis, can lead to overestimation of exposure, as illustrated in our theoretical considerations and supported by empirical data from DFR studies. To address this, we propose an alternative approach to evaluating risk considering both degradation and interconversion rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the first half of the 20th century, it was commonly assumed that radiation-induced health effects occur only when the dose exceeds a certain threshold. This idea was discarded for stochastic effects when more knowledge was gained about the mechanisms of radiation-induced cancer. Currently, a key tenet of the international system of radiological protection is the linear no-threshold (LNT) model where the risk of radiation-induced cancer is believed to be directly proportional to the dose received, even at dose levels where the effects cannot be proven directly. The validity of the LNT approach has been questioned on the basis of a claim that only conclusions that can be verified experimentally or epidemiologically are scientific and LNT should, thus, be discarded because the system of radiological protection must be based on solid science. The aim of this publication is to demonstrate that the LNT concept can be tested in principle and fulfils the criteria of a scientific hypothesis. The fact that the system of radiological protection is also based on ethics does not render it unscientific either. One of the fundamental ethical concepts underlying the LNT model is the precautionary principle. We explain why it is the best approach, based on science and ethics (as well as practical experience), in situations of prevailing uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age/size selective fishery, which targets large individuals and retains immature individuals, is practiced worldwide. Yet, selective fishing can result in bycatch of undersized target species, posing a serious problem in stock management. In addition, there is a growing concern that intensive selective removal alters the composition of a population. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the effects of selective fishery on stock dynamics is essential for sustainable fishery management. In this study, an age‐structured model based on the Schaefer model assumptions was used to investigate the effects of selective fisheries and their bycatch on stock dynamics. Local stability analyses suggest that selective fishery can cause undesirable oscillatory stock dynamics in fishery management. Numerical simulations revealed that maximum sustainable yield‐based management with a large age at maturity is more likely to lead to stock oscillations. Notably, bycatch, which is detrimental to the sustainability of the fishery, was found to reduce the oscillatory dynamics. Overall, selective fisheries tend to cause oscillatory stock dynamics in various situations. Selective fishing also tends to reduce the critical fishing effort that causes stock extinction; therefore, a precautionary approach is necessary to mitigate such issues. Recommendations for Resource ManagersAge/size selective fishing that retains immature individuals is practiced worldwide and often cause unwanted bycatch, thus requiring a solid understanding for successful management.Selective fishing can cause fluctuations in stock dynamics that are undesirable for sustainable fisheries. This situation may be more likely to occur when the minimum age for fishing is large. It may also occur in fisheries based on maximum sustainable yield.Precautionary management, such as the establishment of marine protected areas, is therefore required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct and indirect human disturbances present major challenges to sustainable management of dryland rivers, impacting upon their role as critical lifelines in arid and semiarid regions. This paper presents an overview of changing human–river relations, knowledges and practices in the management of dryland rivers in western India over the last 4500 years. In ancient times, traditional knowledges underpinned local water harvesting techniques that worked with nature. Subsequent imposition of external values and knowledge frameworks in colonial times applied a command‐and‐control ethos that asserted human authority over rivers. Postindependence, development programmes in the second half of the 21st century further accentuated this legacy, with profound implications for river health. Discipline‐bound approaches to river restoration in recent decades have failed to address these concerns. Using the Sabarmati catchment (~20,000 km2) as a case study, we develop a holistic, transdisciplinary approach that integrates traditional place‐based knowledges and practices alongside scientific understandings and the generative potential of Big Data to show how a plural knowledges model can support proactive and precautionary approaches to sustainable river management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Notaries who are not careful in carrying out their position in making authentic deeds often cause legal problems to arise because the documents or information provided by the court turn out to be fake, and it often happens that notaries actually know that the information or documents provided are not true, or the deed was made by The notary did not comply with the regulations. The problem in this thesis is regarding the position of the rental agreement deed made by a Notary who does not apply the precautionary principle (Prudentiality Principle) and the legal consequences for the Notary regarding the rental agreement deed not applying the prudential principle (Prudentiality Principle). This thesis uses normative legal research methods (library) with qualitative analysis to obtain conclusions regarding the position of the rental agreement deed made by a Notary who does not apply the prudential principle and is null and void and not binding on the parties to the rental agreement. renting because previously the rental object had been transferred through sale and purchase, so that the party renting out did not have the right to lease to another person. The legal consequences for the Notary regarding the rental agreement deed not applying the principle of prudence (Prudentiality Principle), namely that the Notary can be held liable according to civil law and UUJN as well as the code of ethics because in making the rental deed he received proof of ownership of the certificate in the form of a photocopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many industries are required to perform population viability analysis (PVA) during the consenting process for new developments to establish potential impacts on protected populations. However, these assessments rarely account for density‐dependent regulation of demographic rates. Excluding density‐dependent regulation from PVA‐based impact assessments is often assumed to provide a maximum estimate of impact and therefore offer a precautionary approach to assessment. However, there is also concern that this practice may unnecessarily impede the development of important industries, such as offshore renewable energy.In this study, we assess density‐dependent regulation of breeding success in 31 populations of seabird. We then quantify the strength and form of this regulation using eight different formulations. Finally, we use PVA to examine how each formulation influences the recreation of observed dynamics (i.e. model validation), as well as the predicted absolute and relative population response to an extrinsic threat (i.e. model projection).We found evidence of both negative (n = 3) and positive (n = 5) regulation of seabird breeding success. In populations exhibiting negative regulation, excluding density‐dependent regulation from PVA‐based impact assessment allowed uncontrolled population growth, such that model outcomes became biologically implausible. By contrast, in populations exhibiting positive regulation, excluding density‐dependent regulation provided an appropriate reconstruction of observed dynamics, but population decline was underestimated in some populations. We find that multiple formulations of density dependence perform comparably at the detection, validation and projection stages of analysis. However, we tentatively recommend using a log‐linear or Weibull distribution to describe density‐dependent regulation of seabird breeding success in impact assessments to balance accuracy with caution. Finally, we show that relative PVA metrics of impact assessment cannot necessarily be used to overcome PVA misspecification by assuming density independence in positively regulated populations.Synthesis and applications: We suggest that a density‐dependent approach when performing PVA‐based assessments for seabird populations will prevent biologically unrealistic, unconstrained population growth and therefore ensure meaningful PVA metrics in populations experiencing negative regulation. It will also maintain a precautionary approach for populations experiencing positive regulation, crucial when estimating impacts for these more vulnerable populations. These conclusions have immediate international application within the consenting processes for marine industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine elapid snakes are a diverse, predominantly Indo‐West Pacific species group. The persistent removal of some species has an unquantified but potentially dire impact on populations. We conducted the first comprehensive review of the trade in marine elapid snakes based on published literature (1974–2022) and trade data from the only species (i.e., Hydrophis [Lapemis] curtus) whose trade is monitored internationally. Some species and populations were subjected to targeted harvest for their meat and skins for at least the last century; fisheries are possibly the most significant threat to populations of marine elapids, with the highest numbers being exploited either accidentally, incidentally, or opportunistically in Southeast Asian fisheries targeting other seafood, including demersal trawl and squid fisheries. Southeast Asia is the core region for exploitation of marine elapids. Annual offtake is >225,000 individuals of at least 8 species in the Gulf of Thailand. Of 72 recognized marine elapids (all non‐CITES [Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora] species), Hydrophis curtus and Hydrophis cyanocinctus dominate the skin trade. Skins of H. curtus are traded mainly in East and Southeast Asia and, to some extent, Europe. Despite some baseline information on the trade of these species, the sustainability of their harvests, particularly in the context of the burgeoning and unmanaged nature of fisheries in the region, remains the major challenge. In an era of declining fish stocks, there has been an increasing trend to commercialize the harvest and use marine elapids that were once considered accidental bycatch and discarded. This trend will continue to pose a significant risk to these snakes unless appropriate fisheries and trade regulations are enforced. Applying the precautionary principle to prevent the overexploitation of sea snakes is an indispensable measure in which trade in regional populations should be regulated through CITES. Accordingly, management plans to identify core distribution regions of exploited species would be crucial for assigning national responsibilities to sustain species and populations in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bigmouth buffalo Ictiobus cyprinellus (Catostomidae) is a freshwater fish native to North America that is known for its longevity. During the 1970s, the bigmouth buffalo was recorded as declining in Canada, Minnesota, and North Dakota and became a protected species in Canada. In the USA, population declines are exacerbated by wasteful recreational bowfishing, lack of fisheries management, and overall lack of knowledge. However, recent studies have revealed the exceptional lifespan of bigmouth buffalo, their negligible senescence, slow growth, delayed maturity, and episodic recruitment. Yet little is known about the spawning phenology of bigmouth buffalo, nor their age demographics in east central Minnesota. In this 2021–2023 study of bigmouth buffalo from Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge we found that 99.7% (389 of 390) of the extant population hatched prior to 1972 despite annual spawning in Rice Lake. Moreover, recruitment success declined significantly since water control measures were established (1953). We found males arrive to spawning grounds with females but depart later, that both the midpoint and duration of spawn significantly vary across years, and that more massive females of the same age range invest disproportionately more in ovaries. Extensive post-spawn seining revealed bigmouth buffalo young-of-the-year in low numbers, but by mid-to-late summer they were no longer evident having likely succumbed to predation. Overall, these findings thoroughly reveal one of the oldest populations of vertebrate currently known (median age of 79 years as of 2024) and expose the stark vulnerability of a bigmouth buffalo population for which substantial recruitment has not occurred for more than six decades. Multiple lines of evidence indicate that the long-lived bigmouth buffalo is vulnerable, that a precautionary approach is immediately needed, and that the unlimited and unregulated kill-fishery be closed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of irreversibility is central in several disciplines, from physics to biology and economics, as well as in many philosophical disputes. Yet, it is seldom clearly defined. In this article, it is argued that the thermodynamic framework with its concept of entropy – allegedly the hallmark of irreversibility – offers a formal framework for a thorough conceptualisation of irreversibility based on three (generic) parameters: (1) the openness of the systems and the possible interventions, (2) the (acceptable) equivalence of the final state, and (3) the timeframe. Its usefulness for socio-ecological systems, and hence for sustainable development and sustainability science, will be shown by presenting how these generic parameters can be applied and interpreted in topics such as the precautionary principle, climate change mitigation and environmental aesthetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, many fisheries have experienced collapse even though most of these fisheries had management plans with harvest control rules and were supported by scientific modelling that explicitly accounted for uncertainty. Recognizing that an informed decision on risks of a stock collapse versus harvest is only possible when the outcomes of the technical measures are described explicitly. We propose that the cumulative probability of stock collapse over a range of harvest levels would provide a perspective of the future consequences of harvesting decisions. Adding to the harvest level negotiations the consideration of how long a fishery should sustain the livelihoods of fishers may provide managers, fishers, and other stakeholders with a more tangible understanding of the risks within the context of precautionary principles in decision-making. We use a time series from the Canadian Cod fishery of the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, from which we construct and calibrate a simplified model as an emulator of more comprehensive models to demonstrate the approach. The implications of adding an analysis of the probabilities of stock collapse for a range of harvest levels and using a risk matrix to inform decision-making are discussed for four selected years 1974, 1986, 1993, and 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article deal with the proposal of suggest and study of the properties of pre-test shrinkage estimators of Reliability Function for the Burr XII distribution using Progressive Type II censored sample. Since some difficulties to derive equations of risk function for proposed shrinkage estimators of reliability function under Precautionary Loss Function (PLF), we to study properties by using Monte-Carlo simulation. The numerical and Monte-Carlo simulations show that the performance of the proposed estimators is better than classical estimators in terms of relative risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we provide an overview on Reeves' muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi) in Austria, a deer species originating from southeastern China and introduced to Europe at the end of the 19th century. Muntiacus reevesi is currently established in several countries of the European mainland and the British Isles, and was included in the list of invasive alien species of Union concern, due to its potential detrimental impacts, such as feeding damage, competition, and car accidents. In Austria three confirmed observations of Reeves' muntjac in the wild were reported, in the federal states Salzburg, Upper Austria and Styria. All observations were made between 2016 and 2022 and were of single individuals that had likely escaped from captivity. Most recently, in April 2022 in Upper Austria a male individual has been observed for several days and was captured thereafter. Although to date there is no evidence of persistent populations in the wild, we argue that future establishment of the species in Austria is possible due to several factors. Those include the ongoing spread of Reeves' muntjac in several countries of the European mainland, its elusive lifestyle and low detectability in initial invasion stages, as well as its ability to thrive from very small founding populations. In the light of the precautionary principle, we advocate for careful monitoring and rapid reaction while still feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background We are now in the fifth year of an ongoing pandemic, and Canada continues to experience significant surges of COVID-19 infections. In addition to the acute impacts of deaths and hospitalizations, there is growing awareness of an accumulation of organ damage and disability which is building a “health debt” that will affect Canadians for decades to come. Calls in 2023 for an inquiry into the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic went unheeded, despite relevant precedent. Canada urgently needs a comprehensive review of its successes and failures to chart a better response in the near- and long-term. Main body While Canada fared better than many comparators in the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is clearly still in a public health crisis. Infections are not only affecting Canadians’ daily lives but also eroding healthcare capacity. Post-COVID condition is having accumulating and profound individual, social, and economic consequences. An inquiry is needed to understand the current evidence underlying policy choices, identify a better course of action on various fronts, and build resilience. More must be done to reduce transmission, including a serious public education campaign to better inform Canadians about COVID and effective mitigations, especially the benefits of respirator masks. We need a national standard for indoor air quality to make indoor public spaces safer, particularly schools. Data collection must be more robust, especially to understand and mitigate the disproportionate impacts on under-served communities and high-risk populations. General confidence in public health must be rebuilt, with a focus on communication and transparency. In particular, the wide variation in provincial policies has sown mistrust: evidence-based policy should be consistent. Finally, Canada’s early success in vaccination has collapsed, and this development needs a careful post-mortem. Conclusions A complete investigation of Canada’s response to the pandemic is not yet possible because that response is still ongoing and, while we have learned much, there remain areas of dispute and uncertainty. However, an inquiry is needed to conduct a rapid assessment of the current evidence and policies and provide recommendations on how to improve in 2025 and beyond as well as guidance for future pandemics.

In 2017 an article was published on the unwillingness of the WHO to acknowledge the health effects associated with the use of wireless phones. It was thus stated that the WHO is 'A Hard Nut to Crack'. Since then, there has been no progress, and history seems to be repeating in that the European Union (EU) is following in the blind man's footsteps created by the WHO. Despite increasing evidence of serious negative effects from radiofrequency radiation on human health and the environment, the EU has not acknowledged that there are any risks. Since September 2017, seven appeals by scientists and medical doctors have been sent to the EU requesting a halt to the roll-out of the fifth generation of wireless communication (5G). The millimeter waves (MMW) and complex waveforms of 5G contribute massively harmful additions to existing planetary electromagnetic pollution. Fundamental rights and EU primary law make it mandatory for the EU to protect the population, especially children, from all kinds of harmful health effects of wireless technology. However, several experts associated with the WHO and the EU have conflicts of interest due to their ties to industry. The subsequent prioritizing of economic interests is resulting in human and planetary health being compromised. Experts must make an unbiased evaluation with no conflicts of interest. The seven appeals to the EU have included requests for immediate protective action, which have been ignored. On the issue of wireless radiation and the health of citizens, the EU seems to be another hard nut to crack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collision sports pose a high risk of concussion. How to respond to this risk is more ethically complex when considering children and adolescents due to a) incomplete evidence regarding the impact of concussion on developing brains, b) physiological and social vulnerability, and c) the young person's reliance on proxy decision-makers, usually parents. There is also a lack of clear definitions of (a) collision sport (vs. contact sport) and (b) what constitutes a child or adolescent. We consider whether parents should be free to allow their children/adolescents to play contact or collision sport. The article analyses the harms and benefits of collision sport and methods of determining risk, before outlining our support for the precautionary principle. We then consider whether the 'best interests' or 'right to an open future' framework ought to be applied to the issue of childhood participation in collision sport. Rather than supporting a ban of child/adolescent participation in collision sport, we argue that permissibility should be decided on a sport-by-sport basis. Moreover, we apply the 'Accountability of Reasonableness' framework to ensure that sound ethical values guide and support protections for this vulnerable group in the absence of high-quality evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water pollution policies have been enacted across the globe to minimize the environmental risks posed by micropollutants (MPs). For regulative institutions to be able to ensure the realization of environmental objectives, they need information on the environmental fate of MPs. Furthermore, there is an urgent need to further improve environmental decision-making, which heavily relies on scientific data. Use of mathematical and computational modeling in environmental permit processes for water construction activities has increased. Uncertainty of input data considers several steps from sampling and analysis to physico-chemical characteristics of MP. Machine learning (ML) methods are an emerging technique in this field. ML techniques might become more crucial for MP modeling as the amount of data is constantly increasing and the emerging new ML approaches and applications are developed. It seems that both modeling strategies, traditional and ML, use quite similar methods to obtain uncertainties. Process based models cannot consider all known and relevant processes, making the comprehensive estimation of uncertainty challenging. Problems in a comprehensive uncertainty analysis within ML approach are even greater. For both approaches generic and common method seems to be more useful in a practice than those emerging from ab initio. The implementation of the modeling results, including uncertainty and the precautionary principle, should be researched more deeply to achieve a reliable estimation of the effect of an action on the chemical and ecological status of an environment without underestimating or overestimating the risk. The prevailing uncertainties need to be identified and acknowledged and if possible, reduced. This paper provides an overview of different aspects that concern the topic of uncertainty in MP modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxic metals such as mercury, lead, and cadmium have multiple carcinogenic capacities, including the ability to damage DNA and incite inflammation. Environmental toxic metals have long been suspected to play a role in the pathogenesis of cancer, but convincing evidence from epidemiological studies that toxic metals are risk factors for common neoplasms has been difficult to gain. Another approach is to map the location of potentially toxic elements in normal human cells where common cancers originate, as well as in the cancers themselves. In this Perspective, studies are summarized that have used elemental biomapping to detect toxic metals such as mercury in human cells. Two elemental biomapping techniques, autometallography and laser ablation-inductively coupled-mass spectrometry imaging, have shown that multiple toxic metals exist in normal human cells that are particularly prone to developing cancer, and are also seen in neoplastic cells of breast and pancreatic tumors. Biomapping studies of animals exposed to toxic metals show that these animals take up toxic metals in the same cells as humans. The finding of toxic metals such as mercury in human cells prone to cancer could explain the increasing global incidence of many cancers since toxic metals continue to accumulate in the environment. The role of toxic metals in cancer remains to be confirmed experimentally, but to decrease cancer risk a precautionary approach would be to reduce emissions of mercury and other toxic metals into the environment from industrial and mining activities and from the burning of fossil fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Precautionary Approach to Fisheries Management requires an assessment of the impact of uncertainty on the risk of achieving management objectives. However, the main quantities, such as spawning stock biomass (SSB) and fish mortality (F), used in management metrics cannot be directly observed. This requires the use of models to provide guidance, for which there are three paradigms: the best assessment, model ensemble, and Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE). It is important to validate the models used to provide advice. In this study, we demonstrate how stock assessment models can be validated using a diagnostic toolbox, with a specific focus on prediction skill. Prediction skill measures the precision of a predicted value, which is unknown to the model, in relation to its observed value. By evaluating the accuracy of model predictions against observed data, prediction skill establishes an objective framework for accepting or rejecting model hypotheses, as well as for assigning weights to models within an ensemble. Our analysis uncovers the limitations of traditional stock assessment methods. Through the quantification of uncertainties and the integration of multiple models, our objective is to improve the reliability of management advice considering the complex interplay of factors that influence the dynamics of fish stocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of A&C - Administrative & Constitutional Law Review - Revista de Direito Administrativo e Constitucional is the property of A&C - Revista de Direito Administrativo & Constitucional (Instituto Bacellar) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This is a response to Henrik Lando's article on courts and climate policies. Lando's argument can be summarized in two propositions. The first is that EU courts have adopted a suboptimal legal standard for evaluating climate policies. Lando's second proposition is that courts are not a good forum for the evaluation of climate policies because of the need to focus on the narrow interests of the litigants before the courts. I agree with Lando's first proposition, but I disagree somewhat with his second proposition. It is pitched too broadly in my view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In State of the Netherlands v. Urgenda Foundation (the Urgenda verdict), the Dutch Supreme Court ordered the Dutch Government to pursue a goal of a 25 % rather than a 20 % decrease in CO2 emissions. The present article discusses the verdict and climate litigation of this kind more generally from a functional perspective rather than from the perspective of democratic legitimacy. It argues that the premises of the Court were inapplicable from an economic perspective and that the faulty reasoning is indicative of reasons why judicial restraint is socially desirable in the area of climate policies. From the viewpoint of social welfare, it may be desirable that a court overrides climate policy if the policy neglects the interests of future generations, i.e. if it is unsustainable. However, the Court did not consult the economic literature on sustainable climate policies. It relied on a consensus among climate scientists, on the European Convention of Human Rights, and on the precautionary principle. We argue that if the Court had consulted the economic literature, it would have found disagreement about how quickly emissions should be lowered, and it would have had to address many complex sources of disagreement that cannot be eliminated by recourse to human rights or the precautionary principle. The Court would have had to subjectively assess different economic theories. However, the litigation process is not set up for and judges are not trained for this complex assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large class of synthetic compounds, many of which are persistent, mobile and toxic (PMT). The sheer number of PFAS makes a substance-by-substance based approach to regulating this group unfeasible. Given the known risks of many PFAS, a precautionary approach (i.e., the Essential Use Concept; EUC) has been called for, whereby any substance is assumed to be harmful and should be phased out, unless it is shown that: (a) the use of this substance is necessary for health and safety, or is critical for the functioning of society and (b) there are no available technically and economically feasible alternatives. While experts, including chemists and toxicologists, are well-placed to assess the second criteria, determining what is necessary for the "functioning of society" requires a wider consideration of societal beliefs and preferences and greater involvement of various interested and affected parties, especially those whose voices are less heard but may be most vulnerable. The aim of the current paper is to provide a preliminary framework and research agenda outlining why and at what points in the essential use decision-making process broader societal perspectives are required, and how such 'social data' can be collected. The ultimate goal is to improve chemicals management by supporting citizens in becoming more informed and engaged participants in relevant debates and policies, including in how to operationalise the EUC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resilience is a critically important factor to consider for sustainably managing natural resources and social-ecological systems (SESs). Each social system will, collectively, have its own goals for how resources are perceived and the principles that underpin their resilience, and, multiple actors, individually, will approach the question with different perspectives. Here, we represent these plural perspectives in terms of worldviews, using the typologies from cultural theory. We combined the underpinning resilience principles from a previously built SES model to assess the extent to which these worldviews influence the results. Resilience was measured using a prototype Dynamic Resilience Index (DRI) validated in a previous publication. The results show the resilience of our SESs will behave in three different ways depending on each worldview used. Free markets (individualists) start the simulation period with a higher resilience. Strong governance (hierarchy) will take a higher position around 2025 and maintain the best value to the end of the simulation in 2100. The precautionary principle (egalitarians) starts with the lowest values for theDRI but ends closer to the strong governance, and it is the only worldview that increased its resilience throughout the simulation. Each worldview couples better to a particular management approach, and the SES behavior responds accordingly. The relevance for the governance of the SES is great as each worldview brings flawed contributions to resilience and wellbeing. Our research also shows that a possible negotiated solution between these worldviews would locate resilience inside the "solution space," which is graphically determined and discussed. Adopting each worldview is then discussed in terms of contributions and problems they imply to the system's resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anomalies in stock markets have been studied with varied approaches worldwide, and mixed outcomes exist. The present study has investigated the financial year and calendar year effect for indices from Indian markets. Sectoral indices from Indian markets have been incorporated in this study on the basis of their weightage in the stock market. Data from 2011 to 2023 have been engaged with historical prices of these indices taken from the stock exchange websites. The analysis has been carried out using the ordinary least squares regression method and the independent sample t-test. Weak anomalies have been documented in the case of the financial services sector. Therefore, the findings indicate rare possibilities for investors to gauge abnormal returns with strategies related to anomalies. With increasing transparency in the online trading mechanism, such possibilities cease to exist for investors. Moreover, market dynamics have transformed on account of several shocks such as COVID-19, Omicron, Russia-Ukraine, Visa-related international issues in the world over economies and financial markets. Investors and markets have become more cautious and look out for a precautionary approach while dealing in stock market trading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaculture has maintained a sustained growth trend over the last 50 years, worldwide and in Aotearoa New Zealand.This industry is known to have environmental consequences, such as impacts on benthos, water column and higher trophic levels. Some of these impacts have been thoroughly studied, while others, such as the effects on cetaceans, are not well understood.This study used passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) to assess, for the first time, the overlap between kūtai—New Zealand greenlipped mussel (Perna canaliculus)—farms and habitat use by endemic endangered Hector's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori hectori) within the Banks Peninsula Marine Mammal Sanctuary.T‐PODs were deployed in six bays, three with mussel farms and three without, between 2018 and 2019. Occurrence of dolphins, expressed as 'dolphin positive minutes per day' (DPM/day), was modelled using generalized linear mixed models.Results showed a strong interaction between farm (presence/absence) and season (summer/winter), with fewer acoustic detections of dolphins in winter if farms were present. Furthermore, in bays with mussel farms, there were significantly more click train detections on the opposite side of the bay, compared to the side by the mussel farm.Considering that results from this study suggest potential displacement of the dolphins due to the mussel farms, the recommendation is a precautionary approach. Further expansion of aquaculture in Hector's dolphin habitat should be done carefully, taking into account their habitat use, and conducting intensive monitoring including a robust 'before and after' design prior to the establishment of new farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is about the ruling of the Superior Court of Justice of Castilla y León (Valladolid) on July 2, 2024, in which the nullity of a concession of groundwater granted to an individual for irrigation is declared. The Federation of Ecologists in Action Castilla y León challenged the resolution of the Duero River Basin Authority, arguing that the allocated resources were already exceeded and the requirements for the concession were not met. The ruling was based on the precautionary principle and the lack of technical justification to exceed the maximum allocations. [Extracted from the article]

The article analyzes the ruling of the Superior Court of Justice of Andalusia on March 20, 2024, which resolves an appeal by the Provincial Federation of Ecologists in Action against the dismissal of a license application for a livestock farm and pig farm. Issues such as the suspension of licenses due to urban planning modifications, the lack of reasoned response from the Administration, and the assessment of environmental impacts are discussed. Despite meeting the formal requirements, the Court dismisses the appeal, sparking debate on the importance of the precautionary principle and comprehensive evaluation of environmental impacts. [Extracted from the article]

(Series Information) European Papers - A Journal on Law and Integration, 2024 9(1), 21-38 | European Forum Insight of 15 April 2024 | (Table of Contents) I. Introduction. - II. Context. - III. The draft regulation in detail. - III.1 Category 1 NGT plants. - III.2 Category 2 NGT plants. - III.3. Provisions for delegated and implementing acts as well as guidance material. - IV. Assessment of different scientific aspects in the regulation. - IV.1. Scientific reasoning of equivalence criteria as given in Annex I. - IV.2. Scientific reasoning of risk assessment criteria as given in Annex II. - V. Assessment of different legal aspects in the draft regulation. - V.1. Deliberate releases of cat 1 plants and committee procedure. - V.2 Precautionary principle. - V.3. Cartagena protocol. - v.4. Amendment of Annex I via delegated act. - VI. Ongoing discussion | (Abstract) This Insight explains in detail, yet easily understandable, the contents of the European Commission’s draft regulation on plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques and their food and feed. It critically comments on the underlying scientific considerations and discusses potential legal issues – the precautionary principle being one of them, though arguably not the most important one. Finally, the Insight summarizes the ongoing discussions and developments regarding the draft regulation. The Authors also hint at potential amendments, which might resolve some of the remaining problems.

There is growing evidence around the world of serious decline in biodiversity requiring urgent application of precautionary risk management. A better regulatory regime for precautionary management of long-term risk is now an urgent priority. This article addresses the prioritization of long-term risk management by examining risk management of ecosystems that may be experiencing hidden collapse. Hidden collapse refers to the existence of environmental indicators indicative of future collapse of forests, even though the forest appears intact and not at risk of ecosystem collapse. Professor David Lindenmayer and Dr Chloe Sato (Lindenmayer) first identified hidden collapse in 2018 in Mountain Ash forests of Victoria, Australia. The risk of hidden collapse represents a long-term environmental threat and is a potential trigger for application of the precautionary principle (principle). Implicit in hidden collapse are two preconditions for application of the principle; the risk of a serious or irreversible environmental threat, and the existence of scientific uncertainty about the nature of the risk. Despite hidden collapse satisfying these essential preconditions for applying the principle, decision makers did not apply it in respect hidden collapse of Mountain Ash forests in Victoria. This article considers the current status of the principle in regulation and how it can be adjusted to address long term environmental risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present approach addresses the theme of superintelligence and seeks to reflect on whether there will be the emergence of such a intelligent machine that it will be able to surpass human intelligence, and, as a result, it will dominate the humanity just as human beings dominate all the less intelligent animals. The objective of the paper is to analyze the movement towards the regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), verifying whether AI governance will be able to predict mechanisms in order to neutralize the intelligence that develops emerging capabilities that threaten civilization with collapse. The method used is hypothetical-deductive, based on the presentation of reflections about the literature on the topic, contrasted with the current regulation. It seeks to warn that although the intentional hypothesis is, still, quite projective of capabilities that are strictly human, such as those of expressing emotions and having feelings, it is important to reflect that event if such speculation be fictitious, it ends up confusing the boundaries between what is human and what is artificial, raising existential and philosophical questions which reinforces the conclusion that AI must be focused on people, having into consideration the fundamental rights and, mainly, in the case of emerging risks, the precautionary principle for monitoring sustainability of AI technological development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snow crab replaced groundfish fisheries as the primary focus of the Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) fishing industry in the mid-1990s. Over the past three decades, management philosophies in this male-only fishery have shifted from promoting industry expansion to promoting industry rationalization to implementing Precautionary Approach (PA) management. Until the mid-2010s, there were regionalized management strategies characterized by higher exploitation rates in northern than southern sub-stock units along the NL marine shelves. However, in the late 2010s, exploitation rates were permitted to elevate to high levels across the entire stock range in association with a large resource decline, and evidence of biological harm through fishing emerged in chronically depleted areas. In 2019, when stock and fishery productivity were near historical lows, a multi-indicator PA system was informally introduced into the management of the resource. This event coincided with anticipated improvements in stock and fishery performance. This paper examines the extent to which the multi-indicator PA management system, focused on the promotion of both biological protection and maximization of fishing efficiency, may have contributed to recent improvements in stock and fishery status. A suite of indicators from areas implementing PA guidance into management in 2019 prior to the formal adoption of the PA system in 2023 suggest the system has been highly beneficial in promoting rapid recovery and improving stock and fishery performance metrics to levels matching or exceeding historical levels under similar conditions. We discuss the capacity of the system to better safeguard biological aspects of resource and fisheries productivity moving forward under a scenario of an expectant resource decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the influence of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, known as the Rio Summit, on the design of subsequent international environmental agreements (IEAs). In particular, it investigates the extent to which the principles outlined in the Rio Declaration were integrated into IEAs concluded in the following years. We focus our investigation on three principles: the precautionary principle, common but differentiated responsibilities, and the polluter pays principle. Analyzing a collection of 2,211 IEAs and their 509 amendments, we find that the Rio Summit catalyzed the dissemination of these principles. However, our study also reveals that the Rio Conference was an inflection point, wherein weaker expressions of these principles became more prevalent. Stronger expressions, which were included in some IEAs prior to the Rio Summit, became relatively less common thereafter. We call this evolutionary process the 'survival of the weakest'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Pacific sleeper shark Somniosus pacificus is a large-bodied and broad-ranging squaliform shark that occupies diverse habitats throughout the Pacific Ocean. Despite its large size and occurrence as bycatch in various commercial fisheries, little is known about even the most basic aspects of its biology and ecology. Observed declines in certain parts of its range, coupled with life history characteristics associated with low productivity, have led to conservation concerns for this cryptic but charismatic species. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the current state of knowledge regarding the distribution, diet, life history, and other aspects of the Pacific sleeper shark and present updated fisheries and survey data for the eastern North Pacific Ocean. The most pressing research gaps identified during the course of this review concern habitat use at different life stages and basic life history information. While work is currently in progress to expand our base of knowledge for this species, we recommend a precautionary approach to management until sufficient information becomes available to ensure its conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to detail the monomer composition of resin-based dental materials sold in the market in 2023 and to evaluate the proportion of bisphenol A (BPA)-derivatives in relation to their applications. A search on manufacturers' websites was performed to reference resin-based dental materials currently on the European market (including the European Union (EU) and United Kingdom (UK). Their monomer composition was determined using material-safety data sheets and was completed by a search on the PubMed database. Among the 543 material compositions exploitable, 382 (70.3%) contained BPA derivatives. Among them, 56.2% contained BisGMA and 28% BisEMA, the most frequently reported. A total of 59 monomers, of which six were BPA derivatives, were found. In total, 309 materials (56.9%) contained UDMA and 292 (53.8%) TEGDMA. Less than one third of materials identified contained no BPA derivatives. These proportions vary a lot depending on their applications, with materials dedicated to the dental care of young populations containing the highest proportions of BPA-derivative monomers. The long-term effects on human health of the different monomers identified including BPA-derivative monomers is a source of concern. For children and pregnant or lactating women arises the question of whether to take a precautionary principle and avoid the use of resin-based dental materials likely to release BPA by opting for alternative materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE), one of the marine carbon dioxide removal strategies, is gaining importance in its role towards alleviating the consequences of climate change as well as mitigating against ocean acidification (OA). OAE is based on adding alkalinity to open-ocean and coastal marine systems through a variety of different approaches, which raises carbonate chemistry parameters (such as pH, total alkalinity, aragonite saturation state), and enhances the uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. There are large uncertainties in both short- and long-term outcomes related to potential environmental impacts, which would ultimately decide on the success of OAE as a climate strategy. This paper represents a meta-analyses effort, leveraging on the OA studies, data, observed patterns and generalizable responses. We propose a conceptual framework of categorized responses that are predicted under OAE implementation. The synthesis was done using raw experimental OA data based on 96 collected studies, capturing the responses of eleven biological groups (coralline algae, corals, dinoflagellates, mollusks, gastropods, pteropods, coccolithophores, annelids, crustacean, echinoderms, and foraminifera), using regression analyses to predict biological responses and thresholds to NaOH or Na2CO3 concentrations. Predicted responses were categorized into six different categories (linear positive and negative, threshold positive and negative, parabolic and neutral) to delineate species- and group-specific responders: 40 % of species are predicted to respond positively (N=38), 20 % of species negatively (N=20), and 40 % (N=38) were found to demonstrate a neutral response upon alkalinity addition. For negatively impacted species, biological thresholds corresponding to 10 to 500 µmol/kg NaOH addition were found, occurring at much lower values than previously expected. Such lower threshold values represent realistic conditions related to OAE field deployments but contrast with the conditions where current OAE lab experiments are conducted. We thus explicitly emphasize the importance of including much lower additions of alkalinity in experimental trials to realistically evaluate in situ biological responses. Due to practicality and high correlation with Ωar, we propose using the TA:DIC ratio as a helpful proxy to explore regional applications and biological response to OAE. The ultimate goal of the study is to provide a framework that can serve as a tool for predicting biological responses and thresholds to delineate OAE risks, guide and prioritize future OAE biological research and regional OAE monitoring efforts. With 60 % of species showing non-neutral response, a precautionary approach for OAE implementation is warranted, identifying the conditions where potential negative ecological outcomes could happen, which is key for scaling up while also avoiding potential risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]