Precautionary science and the "manufacturing of uncertainty"

This paper analyses one recent proposal for modifying the methodologies used in risk assessment: the Weight-Of-Evidence (WOE) approach. This approach is an example of precautionary science in risk research, i.e., a methodology which aims at a better protection of human health and the environment. However, some groups apposed to the regulation of certain technologies have started artificially introducing uncertainties into the body of evidence. This means that the WOE approach does not automatically lead to a higher level of health or environmental production. It is therefore necessary to analyze each innovation on a case-by-case basis in order to evaluate its risks and benefits, and decide if to accept lower or, on the contrary, higher standards for its regulation. Scientific knowledge is a necessary element in this assessment, but not the decisive one.