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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Public Participation In Watershed Management Planning: Views On Process From People In The Field, Thomas Webler, Seth Tuler
Public Participation In Watershed Management Planning: Views On Process From People In The Field, Thomas Webler, Seth Tuler
Environmental Studies Faculty and Staff Publications
Watershed planning is an important focus of environmental protection efforts in many states. Still, how to involve the public in watershed planning remains controversial. This paper reports on research that used Q methodology to study how experienced watershed management planners and activists perceive the proper way to involve the public in decision-making. Four perspectives about how best to involve the public in watershed planning emerged. One emphasizes that a good process is credible and legitimate and that it maintains popular acceptance for outcomes. A second sees a good process as one that produces technically competent outcomes. A third focuses on …
How To Do Environmental Decision Making: Varying Perspectives On The U.S. National Research Council’S Understanding Risk Report, Thomas Webler, Seth Tuler
How To Do Environmental Decision Making: Varying Perspectives On The U.S. National Research Council’S Understanding Risk Report, Thomas Webler, Seth Tuler
Environmental Studies Faculty and Staff Publications
There are two reasons why public participation in decision making about risk and environmental management persists as an important, timely issue. First, people still disagree about whether lay people should be involved in these decisions at all. This is the question of “why?” Second, there is uncertainty about how to best involve, meaningfully, diverse lay people and scientists in an efficient, effective decision making process. This is the question of “how?”
Beyond Science: Deliberation And Analysis In Public Decision Making, Thomas Webler
Beyond Science: Deliberation And Analysis In Public Decision Making, Thomas Webler
Environmental Studies Faculty and Staff Publications
I agree very much with most of Carolyn Raffensperger’s argument. Understanding Risk does stand out for its willingness to admit that we need to rethink our assumptions about the privileged role that scientists and “experts” play in public decision making on topics of risk and environment. Involving publics in meaningful ways with scientists can make better science, but only if the scientists allow this to happen. I agree with Carolyn when she writes that this might require scientists engaging in inductive reasoning — some- thing many of them have been trained not to do! Surely the scientific method is powerful. …