Precautionary principle

The precautionary principle is a way of making sure that we aren't causing harm to ourselves or the environment. It means that if experts think something might be dangerous, then we should not do it until we are sure that it won't hurt us. For example, if scientists think that a new type of chemical might be bad for the environment, the precautionary principle would say that we should not use it until we know for sure that it is safe.