Making Better Environmental Decisions: An Alternative to Risk Assessment

Review: Making Better Environmental Decisions: An Alternative to Risk Assessment By Mary O’Brien Reviewed by Xavier E. Gros European Commission Joint Research Centre, The Netherlands O'Brien, Mary. Making Better Environmental Decisions; An Alternative to Risk Assessment. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2000. 352 pp. ISBN 0-262-65053-3 (softcover). US$22.95 Recycled, chlorine-free paper Greed, self-interest, lack of education and lack of respect for the environment are among the main causes of pollution and environmental contamination. Industrial development is still driven by cost considerations regardless of escalating pollution. The future of the planet and its inhabitants appears pretty gloomy. But Mary O'Brien does not only write about what's wrong, she also suggests alternatives and strategies to make things right. Well-written, jargon-free, easy to read, Making Better Environmental Decisions makes risk assessment and its alternatives accessible to a large audience. There is no doubt that this book will upset supporters and beneficiaries of risk assessment. But then again, that is what is intended. Making Better Environmental Decisions is divided into three sections. In the first, the author concentrates on identifying the weaknesses of risk assessment. Its abuses and impact on the environment are illustrated through numerous case studies. O'Brien reveals how, based on current approaches to risk assessment, governments have authorized companies to contaminate the air, poison wildlife, pollute groundwater, etc., to such an extent that one may question the value of risk assessment, its supposed impartial approach, and most of all why there have been so few actions to fight environmental abuses, and, finally, why an even smaller number of actions have succeeded. Alternatives to risk assessment are proposed in section two. O'Brien demonstrates that risk assessment of certain industrial processes is often performed without considering existing environmentally friendly options. These greener alternatives to more polluting technologies are very rarely considered or adopted without active support of the population and direct involvement of citizens at a local, national or international level. The third and last section deals with making the shift to alternatives assessment. The barriers against alternatives assessment are highlighted and potential actions to be taken are proposed. This section is rather dubious. It seems that all the vigor and exertion used in the first two parts