Encouraging green businesses of ‘principle’ concern
By hook or by crook, Santa Monica businesses will likely be providing more environmentally conscious products. That much seems clear as the city blazes out of the World Environment Day conference.
On the one hand, city staff members acknowledge the need to provide better incentives for businesses to provide environmentally safe products. At the same time, the “precautionary principle” — defined as actions in which protecting the environment and human health take precedence — may soon be proposed to the City Council. If adopted, more businesses may be encouraged to prove their products are environmentally safe.
The theme of this year’s gathering in San Francisco was “Green Cities”, with the slogan “Plan for the Planet.” The United Nations-backed event started June 1 and culminated with World Environment Day on June 5. More than 70 participating cities worldwide traded ideas on renewable energy, recycling, public transportation, parks and clean air and water.
Brian Johnson, an environmental manager with the city, said he attended this year’s presentation on the “precautionary principle”, something he already uses when he can.
“It is a very democratic, egalitarian and forward-looking tool for institutions to navigate through decision-making,” Johnson said. “During my tenure at the city, we have practiced the precautionary approach, but have not held it up as the ‘precautionary principle.’”
Johnson said the principle has already been moved by the city’s Task Force on the Environment to go to the City Council to be adopted into the sustainability plan.
“The principle might be employed, for example, if you were buying a chemical product,” Johnson said. “If you were concerned about the toxicity of the product, it would be up to the company to prove it’s not toxic.
“The principle would provide the full analysis of the alternative.”
Judy Rambeau, city spokesperson, said that because the sustainable city plan was recently updated, she does not expect the City Council to be in a rush to make changes and additions.
She said the principle, along with other sustainability ideas, would likely not come before council until the city’s environmental and public works management division does its next sustainability progress report, expected later this summer.
In addition to developments regarding the precautionary principle, Johnson said staff would be looking at ways to improve incentives for businesses to be headquartered in Santa Monica and which make environmentally safe products.
Staff attended a “green purchasing” presentation intended to drum up support for green businesses.
“The focus was to get our minds and bureaucracies around the movement as it stands today and find key mechanisms in the public and private sector to allow new products to flourish,” Johnson said. “We need to work on a mature economic development plan that recognizes sustainable development with better products and services that cuts into the local workforce.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 9, 2005. Read the original PDF.