Environmental Expertise: Connecting Science, Policy and Society

An important goal of environmental research is to inform policy and decision making. However, environmental experts working at the interface between science, policy and society face complex challenges, including how to identify sources of disagreement over environmental issues, communicate uncertainties and limitations of knowledge, and tackle controversial topics such as genetic modification or the use of biofuels. This book discusses such problems on both a practical and a conceptual level. Key findings from social science research are illustrated with a range of case studies, from fisheries to fracking. It offers guidance on how to tackle these challenges, equipping readers with tools to better understand the diversity of environmental knowledge and its role in complex environmental issues.