Barry Commoner: the Father of Grass-Roots Environmentalem

Abstract

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Barry Commoner and his colleagues in the Committee for Nuclear Information and at Washington University in St. Louis developed many of the fundamental arguments and ideas that, today, underpin and propel the grassroots movement for environmental justice, such as: moral wisdom resides in the citizenry; scientists have no special wisdom in moral matters; scientists must make alliances with citizens; pollution must be prevented because it cannot be managed; the burden of proof rests on the polluter; citizens have a right to know; the principle of precautionary action should guide our decisions; environmental impact assessments are essential; and risk assessment is political.