PSCI 3201 Environmental Policy 11/01/07

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PSCI 3201 Environmental Policy11/01/07

• Science and environmental policy
• Communications framework
• Production of information
• Transfer of information
• Science and politics

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Follow up onDr. Albert Bartletts Reflections
on Sustainability, Population Growth and the
Environment
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Science and Environmental Policy

• Using a communications framework to examine how
  scientific information is produced and
  transferred.

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• Communications Framework
• Barriers to the production of information
• Barriers to the transfer of information

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A. Barriers to the Production of Information

• What is it about scientific information that
  makes it difficult to communicate?
• What is the nature of this information?
• How is this information created?

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A. Barriers to the Production of Information

• Information is not always available when its
  needed. Politics needs answers now, but testing
  may not be completed.

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A. Barriers to the Production of Information

1. Information is not always available when its
   needed.
2. Scientific testing is expensive. Not all
   research is supported some questions are not
   being studied.

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A. Barriers to the Production of Information

1. Information is not always available when its
   needed.
2. Scientific testing is expensive.
3. Important data are missing. The information may
   be fragmentary, allowing for different
   interpretations.

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A. Barriers to the Production of Information

1. Information is not always available when its
   needed.
2. Scientific testing is expensive.
3. Important data are missing.
4. Theres little consensus. There are many
   scientific results available, but few efforts to
   cumulate existing data.

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A. Barriers to the Production of Information

1. Information is not always available when its
   needed.
2. Scientific testing is expensive.
3. Important data are missing.
4. Theres little consensus.
5. Science is often not coherent. There is overlap
   in research but few efforts to bridge across
   disciplines.

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A. Barriers to the Production of Information

1. Information is not always available when its
   needed.
2. Scientific testing is expensive.
3. Important data are missing.
4. Theres little consensus.
5. Science is often not coherent.
6. There are biases in choosing what issues to
   research. Not all potentially important issues
   are examined.

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B. Barriers to the Transfer of Information

• How is information transferred by the scientific
  community to the broad public, and policy makers
  in particular?
• How is that information received, understood and
  used by decision makers?

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B. Barriers to the Transfer of Information

• 1. Scientists often fail to communicate to
  the public. The focus is on communicating with
  jargon inside science circles.

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B. Barriers to the Transfer of Information

• 1. Scientists often fail to communicate to
  the public.
• Aversion to the press. Many scientists avoid the
  press due to tendencies to sensationalize and
  oversimplify.