"Does it reduce, deaden or enhance human creativity?"
Here are Precautionary questions for personal products and services:
Energy. How do solar PV systems impact ecosystems from cradle-to-grave? How do solar PVs increase fire hazards? If panels crack, will their PFAs and other chemicals leach into soil? Given that panels are hazardous waste, can we dispose of them safely at their end-of-life?
Transportation. Given the energy, extractions, water, hazardous working conditions (including child labor) and toxic emissions involved in manufacturing, is it more ecologically sound to buy a new vehicle, a used one, repair my current one-- or get along without a car? How do you minimize an e-vehicle's fire hazards? Since charging an EV reduces the nearby transformer's lifespan 30 or 40 years to three years, would it help if users coordinated charging times? What can an EV battery do once it can no longer power a car?
Phones. Given the energy, extractions, water, hazardous working conditions (including child labor) and toxic emissions involved in manufacturing, operating and discarding mobile phones (and other computers), could you buy one with modular/replaceable parts? Do we keep a landline to maintain communication during power outages? What tools keep children from addictive screen-time?
Internet access. How do wired systems affect ecosystems? What about wireless systems? How do these systems impact public health? How does wireless access impact health? Can I turn a wireless system off while we sleep?
Food. Where was this food grown? Where was it processed? Were GMOs, pesticides or herbicides involved in growing it? Can I buy this food without plastic packaging? Does a local farmer grow it? Could I cook and/or grow it myself? Does this baby bottle have lead paint?
Birth control. How/does the method impact users' health? Offspring's health? How does urinating its residues impact ecosystems? Does the method change users' relationships? What are the alternatives? (Taking the Pill for two years before age 25 increases a woman's risk of breast cancer by 85%.)
Clearing aphids from roses. Since hummingbird babies feed on aphids, what harm comes from leaving them on the plants?
Dental floss. Does it have PFAs?
Precautionary questions for manufacturers and municipalities:
Proposed mining sites or factories. How will their water use (including used water) impact farmers' and community water? How will their use impact wildlife habitats? What particulates will they emit?
Proposed power plants. For whom will this facility provide power? What energy, extractions, water, concrete, international shipping does manufacturing this facility require? What fire hazards, radiation risks, toxic emissions will the facility carry? Who will monitor these risks? What's our emergency plan if a battery storage system catches fire? If/when the system fails to provide power, what's the backup? In the event of fire, what's the evacuation plan? Is the facility's waste hazardous? Who will pay to dispose its waste?
Data storage center. What entities will this storage center serve? From where will it get power and water? Will its electricity and water demands impact local businesses and households?
Telecom access networks. How/can we legally minimize our community's risks from access networks' radiation, fire hazards, failure at power outages, hacking, increased energy consumption?
E-vehicle charging stations. How can we minimize fire hazards? What new equipment (i.e. lead blankets) and budgetary increases do we need to extinguish EV fires? Since charging EVs reduces nearby transformers' lifespan, should we budget for new transformers? How can we safely dispose of municipally-owned batteries?
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