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The precautionary principle

The precautionary principle states that lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason to postpone action against serious or irreversible harm. It is often used in environmental and health questions, where one cannot wait for one hundred percent proof before acting.

uncertainty≠reason to wait\text{uncertainty} \neq \text{reason to wait}the precautionary principle under serious risk

Example

A new chemical with suspected, but not fully proven, health risk can still be strictly regulated before all research is complete.

The precautionary principle applies to serious or irreversible harm — it is not a general excuse to avoid all risk.
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