Discerning Experts – The Practices of Scientific Assessment for Environmental Policy - Softcover

Oppenheimer, Michael; Oreskes, Naomi; Jamieson, Dale; Brysse, Keynyn; O`reilly, Jessica; Shindell, Matthew; Wazeck, Milena

Softcover

ISBN 10: 022660201X ISBN 13: 9780226602011

Publisher: University of Chicago Press, 2019

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.

About this title

About the Authors

Michael Oppenheimer is the Albert G. Milbank Professor of Geosciences and International Affairs at Princeton University.

Matthew Shindell curates the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's collection of spacecraft, instruments, and other artifacts related to the exploration and study of our Earth and solar system. He co-hosts the Museum's podcast, AirSpace. A historian of science, he is also the author of For the Love of Mars and The Life and Science of Harold C. Urey, coauthor of Spaceships and Discerning Experts, and coeditor of Smithsonian American Women.

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Publication date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 022660201X
• ISBN 13: 9780226602011
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304