GEO 335 Lecture Robert T. Lackey Oregon State University November 25, 2014 Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University 1 2 “information gathered in a rational, systematic, testable, and reproducible manner” Only one type of information: describes reality as it is; not as it ought to be 3 May, 1948 4 “a person who generates or interprets information by applying the scientific method” Just because a person has credentials: may not be acting as a “scientist” 5 May, 2014 6 7 “To what extent do you trust scientists to present unbiased scientific information about environmental issues?” Washington Post - ABC Opinion Poll December, 2009 8 “Four in 10 Americans now say that they place little or no trust in what scientists have to say about the environment.” Washington Post - ABC Opinion Poll December, 2009 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 Linear model of policy making is commonly assumed by many scientists (=technocrats) 33 Scientists Decision 34 Scientists Decision 35 Scientists “If those lousy politicians only understood the science, the correct policy choice would be obvious!” Decision 36 “The public is scientifically illiterate and therefore the experts ought to make the policy decision!” Scientists Decision 37 Scientists “We are facing a crisis! I don’‛t understand why the politicians don’‛t make the obvious choice!” Decision 38 39 Scientists Decision “The mechanism by which society answers important and complex public policy questions.” 40 Advocates supportive Scientists Decision Advocates opposed 41 Scientists Decision 42 Climate advocates NIMBY advocates Scientists for hire Campaign payback Audubon et al AWEA Government role? Scientists Decision Solar advocates Radar users Hunting advocates Proposer General Electric (NBC) et al “Health” advocates Taxpayers 43 Climate advocates NIMBY advocates Scientists for hire Campaign payback Audubon et al AWEA Government role? Scientists Decision Solar advocates Radar users Hunting advocates Proposer General Electric (NBC) et al “Health” advocates Taxpayers 44 Climate advocates NIMBY advocates Scientists for hire Campaign payback Audubon et al AWEA Government role? Scientists Decision Solar advocates Radar users Hunting advocates Proposer General Electric (NBC) et al “Health” advocates Taxpayers 45 46 47 48 49 50 “Information or “science” that is based on assumed, usually unstated, preferences for a particular policy or class of policy choices” 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 Ecosystem “degradation” 61 Ecosystem “improvement” Ecosystem “degradation” 62 Ecosystem “alteration” Ecosystem “improvement” Ecosystem “degradation” 63 Ecosystem “improvement” Ecosystem “degradation” 64 65 ● Native species — preferable to non-native species? 66 67 68 69 We “should” . . . We “must” . . . “Healthy” ecosystem “Sick” ecosystem Ecological “crisis” Biological “integrity” “Degraded” ecosystem We need to “act” now 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 Dr. Bob Lackey is professor of fisheries science at Oregon State University. In 2008 he retired after 27 years with the Environmental Protection Agency’s national research laboratory in Corvallis where he served as Deputy Director among other senior science and management jobs. Since his very first fisheries job mucking out raceways in a California trout hatchery, he has worked on an assortment of natural resource issues from various positions in government and academia. His professional assignments involved diverse aspects of natural resource management, but mostly he has operated at the interface between science and policy. He has published over 100 articles in scientific journals. Dr. Lackey has long been an educator, having taught at five North American universities and currently teaches a graduate course in ecological policy. Canadian by birth, he is now a U.S.Canadian dual-citizen living in Corvallis, Oregon. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis, Oregon 97331 OFFICE: CELL: EMAIL: WEB: (541) 737-0569 (541) 602-5904 [email protected] http://fw.oregonstate.edu/content/robert-lackey 81