Discerning Experts: The Practices of Scientific Assessment for Environmental Policy

by Dale Jamieson (Author), Milena Wazeck (Author), Dale Jamieson (Author), Michael Oppenheimer (Author), Matthew Shindell (Author), Milena Wazeck (Author), Naomi Oreskes (Author), Jessica O`reilly (Author), Keynyn Brysse (Author)

New
Illustrated
2019
$37.33

How do scientists evaluate environmental knowledge for public policy? Discerning Experts examines three sets of landmark environmental assessments involving acid rain, ozone depletion, and sea level rise, exploring how experts judge scientific evidence and determine what the scientific facts are. The three case studies also explore how scientists come to agreement on contested issues, why consensus is considered important, and what factors contribute to confusion, bias, and error, and how scientists understand and navigate the boundaries between science and policy. The authors also suggest strategies for improving the assessment process. As the first study of the internal workings of large environmental assessments, this book explores the strengths and weaknesses of the assessment process and explains what it can-and cannot-be expected to contribute to public policy and the common good.

Synopsis

How do scientists evaluate environmental knowledge for public policy? Discerning Experts examines three sets of landmark environmental assessments involving acid rain, ozone depletion, and sea level rise, exploring how experts judge scientific evidence and determine what the scientific facts are. The three case studies also explore how scientists come to agreement on contested issues, why consensus is considered important, and what factors contribute to confusion, bias, and error, and how scientists understand and navigate the boundaries between science and policy. The authors also suggest strategies for improving the assessment process. As the first study of the internal workings of large environmental assessments, this book explores the strengths and weaknesses of the assessment process and explains what it can-and cannot-be expected to contribute to public policy and the common good.

$37.33

Quantity

20+ in stock

More Information

Format: Illustrated
Pages: 304
Edition: Illustrated
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Published: 01 Mar 2019
ISBN 10: 022660201X
ISBN 13: 9780226602011

Author Bio

Michael Oppenheimer is the Albert G. Milbank Professor of Geosciences and International Affairs at Princeton University. Naomi Oreskes is professor of the history of science at Harvard University. Dale Jamieson is professor of environmental studies and philosophy at New York University. Keynyn Brysse is a historian of science with a focus on the history of paleontology. Jessica O'Reilly is an assistant professor of international studies at Indiana University Bloomington. Matthew Shindell is a space history curator at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. Milena Wazeck is a historian of science and the author of Einstein's Opponents.