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A Scientific Perspective. Basics of the scientific perspective. Problem = we don’t know enough about the problem Solution = get more information about it Information will allow us to identify problems an that will prompt a response
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Basics of the scientific perspective • Problem = we don’t know enough about the problem • Solution = get more information about it • Information will allow us to identify problems an that will prompt a response • Technology will provide means to drive down pollution intensity enough to overcome population and affluence contributions. • Changes in values aren’t needed. • “Information deficit” model: the obstacle to environmental protection is a lack of information. Does this ring true to you?
General points on science • Values involved • Science contributes to political process • Uncertainty plays important role • "Science in politics" as a participative process
Roles of Scientists • Trend spotters • Theory builders • Theory testers • Science communicators • Applied policy analysts
Scientific Assessments • Assessments • Aggregate “State of the Science” reports • Increasingly common on environmental issues • Scientific but representative process • Wield influence when • Salient (relevant) • Credible (expertise and trustworthiness) • Legitimate (viewed as fair)
When do states take action onan environmental problem? • Scientific knowledge • Salient issue • Costs and benefits • Incidence of costs and benefits • Political and institutional context
How SHOULD we prioritize action? • Discussion
A place to start: different contributions Kaley McCarty, UO 2015
Sustainability science must: • "span the range of spatial scales between such diverse phenomena as economic globalization and local farming practices," • "account for both the temporal inertia and urgency of processes like ozone depletion," • "deal with functional complexity such as is evident in recent analyses of environmental degradation resulting from multiple stresses; and" • "recognize the wide range of outlooks regarding what makes knowledge usable within both science and society." --- this is related to discussion of how to do science so it makes a social impact.
“Sustainability science” questions (Kates et al.) • How can the dynamic interactions between nature and society--including lags and inertia--be better incorporated into emerging models and conceptualizations that integrate the Earth system, human development, and sustainability? • How are long-term trends in environment and development, including consumption and population, reshaping nature-society interactions in ways relevant to sustainability? • What determines the vulnerability or resilience of the nature-society system in particular kinds of places and for particular types of ecosystems and human livelihoods? • Can scientifically meaningful "limits" or "boundaries" be defined that would provide effective warning of conditions beyond which the nature-society systems incur a significantly increased risk of serious degradation? • What systems of incentive structures--including markets, rules, norms, and scientific information--can most effectively improve social capacity to guide interactions between nature and society toward more sustainable trajectories? • How can today's operational systems for monitoring and reporting on environmental and social conditions be integrated or extended to provide more useful guidance for efforts to navigate a transition toward sustainability? • How can today's relatively independent activities of research planning, monitoring, assessment, and decision support be better integrated into systems for adaptive management and societal learning?
Three tasks for sustainability science to move forward • "Wide discussion within the scientific community .. regarding key questions, appropriate methodologies, and institutional needs." • "Science must be connected to the political agenda for sustainable development" • "Research itself must be focused on the character of nature-society interactions, on our ability to guide those interactions along sustainable trajectories, and on ways of promoting the social learning that will be necessary to navigate the transition to sustainability.
What is / should be relationship between natural and social sciences? • Do we want politics involved in science? If so, how? • What about science involved in politics? If so, how? • How can we do science (both natural and social) so it has an impact?
Lessonsfrom scientists(Lubchenco citing Vitousek) • "between one-third and one-half of the land surface has been transformed by human action" • "the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere has increased by nearly 30% since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution" • "more atmospheric nitrogen is fixed by humanity than by all natural terrestrial sources combined" • "more than half of all accessible surface fresh water is put to use by humanity" • "about one-quarter of the bird species on Earth have been driven to extinction" • "approximately two-thirds of major marine fisheries are fully exploited, overexploited, or depleted"
Lubchenco's questions • How is our world changing? • What are the implications of these changes for society? • What is the role of science in meeting the challenges created by the changing world? • How should scientists respond to these challenges?
Lubchenco's reasons for scientists to be concerned: • Human health • Economy • Social justice • National security
Lubchenco's New ContractBased on assumption scientists will: • address society's most urgent needs • communicate knowledge to decision makers • "exercise good judgment, wisdom, and humility." • "recognize the extent of human domination of the planet."
Scientists’ responsibilities to society • Do scientists have responsibilities to society? • More than businesspeople, academics, novelists, artists, environmentalists, garbage-people? • If so, what do responsibilities consist of and who determines what they are? • Lubchenco argues that there was a substantial societal investment in science and this is where the obligation flows from. Do you agree? Is there some other source of this obligation?
What are risks and benefits of relying on science and scientists? • Scientists can tell us what environmental impacts of a particular behavior will be, but not how to value those impacts. Sell's case of differing values placed on ozone depletion's benefits and costs. • Jasanoff: "We expect scientists to see the world the same way whether they live in Japan, India, Brazil, or the United States. This is a comfort in an unstable world. As our uncertainties increase in scope and variety, we turn for answers, not surprisingly, to the authoritative voice of science" (64). • Science implies notion that there is one truth, even if multi-causal and even if not yet known and evolving, but nonetheless one. E.g., light as wave or particle. • Essentially, science implies that only one voice is valid. • In contrast, democracy implies that all voices are valid.
Building a Convincing Causal Argument • Identify important theoretical question • Develop hypotheses and identify the variables • Select cases to control variables (and thereby exclude rival hypotheses as explanations) • Link data to hypotheses • Examine correlations and causal pathways • Generalize to other cases
A Convincing Argument Requires • Evidence • that the ACTUAL value of the Dependent Variable • matches the PREDICTED value of the Dependent Variable for • your theoretical claim AND FOR • your counterfactual claim
Final Paper • Start by identifying good hypotheses from Brown Weiss/Jacobson readings and others on reserve • Compare regulated behavior to otherwise-similar non-regulated behavior to see if they are different • If they do NOT differ, there’s nothing to explain (BUT you may want to explain why you expected them to be different) • If they DO differ, try to exclude other explanations, leaving the treaty as only remaining explanation • Develop counterfactualsto evaluate whether changes were due to treaty or other factors
Possible Comparison #1:Members/Non-members • Members (regulated actors) to non-members (non-regulated actors), • Members vs. non-members after treaty • Treaty members before/after treaty starts
Possible Comparison #2:Regulated/Non-regulated Activity • Members regulated activity to members non-regulated activity • Catch of regulated yellowfin tuna vs. non-regulated bluefin tuna • Sulfur dioxide pollution vs. carbon monoxide pollution
Possible Comparison #3:Regulated/Non-regulated Location • Members in regulated location to members in non-regulated location • Catch of yellowfin tuna in regulated area (Indian Ocean) vs. non-regulated area (Western Pacific) • Pollution of regulated river vs. pollution of non-regulated river
Treaty In Force Pollution Example
Treaty In Force Pollution Example COUNTERFACTUAL 1: Predicted Emissions if Treaty Wasn’t Signed (using Members)
Treaty In Force Pollution Example COUNTERFACTUAL 1: Predicted Emissions if Treaty Wasn’t Signed (using Members)
Treaty In Force Pollution Example COUNTERFACTUAL 2: Predicted Emissions if Treaty Wasn’t Signed (using Non-Members)
