Making Better Environmental Decisions by Mary O'brien
For the past quarter-century, government and the private sector have relied heavily on risk assessment for making decisions, allowing widespread environmental deterioration. In this book, Mary O'Brien recommends a simple yet profound shift to another decision-making technique: alternatives assessment. Instead of asking how much of a hazardous activity is safe (which translates into how much damage the environment can tolerate), alternatives assessment asks how we can avoid or minimize damage while achieving society's goals. Alternatives assessment is a simple, commonsense alternative to risk assessment. It is based on the premise that it is not acceptable to damage human and nonhuman health or the environment if there are reasonable alternatives. The approach calls for taking precautionary measures even if some cause-and-effect relationships have not been fully established scientifically. The process must involve an examination of the full range of alternatives, including no action at all. Equally important, it must be democratic and include potentially affected parties. O'Brien not only makes a persuasive case for alternative assessment; she tells how to implement it. She also shows how this technique has profound implications for public health, for our stewardship of the environment, and for a truly democratic government. Published in association with the Environmental Research Foundation.
Mary O'Brien lives in Omagh Co. Tyrone, but grew up on the family farm outside Fivemiletown where her horrific accident occurred in September 1942. Her disability presented many challenges and obstacles but these were just something Mary had to overcome and in doing so became more resilient as the years advanced. Mary now admits that the task her grandchildren set her - that of writing her memoir - has been one of the toughest challenges she has faced. However, she took up her pencil and after five years of writing and rewriting, her story is now told.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780262650533 |
| ISBN 10 | 0262650533 |
| Title | Making Better Environmental Decisions |
| Author | Mary O'brien |
| Series | The Mit Press |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | MIT Press Ltd |
| Year published | 2000-05-11 |
| Number of pages | 304 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |