| This socio-legal research asks: Why has air pollution recently regained the status of an urgent environmental health problem in the Netherlands ? The Dutch case will be compared to the situation in the UK, where this urgency is absent. The analysis is concentrated on the precautionary culture with the precautionary principle as the legal centrepiece. A crucial aspect of the approach is a focus on the social transmission and diffusion of knowledge . The interaction between policy and science will be studied. Attention will also be paid to the role of interest groups and the media. The resulting insight could enhance rational policy making and public welfare. |
