Reflections on scientific advice and ec transboundary pollution policy

Science and Public Policy

Volumn 22, Issue 3, 1995, Pages 195-203

  Boehmer Christiansen, Sonja ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ACADEMIC ROLE; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; EUROPEAN COMMUNITY; POLICY MAKING; POLLUTION CONTROL; SCIENTIFIC ADVICE;

EUROPE, (WEST);

EID: 0029504926     PISSN: 03023427     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1093/spp/22.3.195     Document Type: Article

References (19)

1. R Topf, “Conclusions”, in B G Peters and A Barker (editors), Advising West European Governments (Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh) page 185.
2. H Dowlarabadi and G M Morgan (Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University), “Integrated assessment of climate change", Science, 259 26 March 1993, page 1813.
3. Noam Chomsky, “Definition of an expert", Deterring Democracy, 1991, page 253.
4. Noam Chomsky, Funded by British Research Councils (ESRC/SERC and ESRC) and the Anglo-German Foundation between 1976 and
5. S A Boehmer-Christiansen, “Limits to the international control of marine pollution”, unpublished D Phil dissertation, University of Sussex, 1981; S A Boehmer-Christiansen and J F Skea, Acid Politics (Belhaven 1991/930; S A Boehmer-Christiansen, “Global climate protection policy: the limits of scientific advice” (2 parts)), Global Environmental Change, 4(2 and 3), 1994.
6. Noam Chomsky, The problems associated with using knowledge at the borders of the unknown and with the emergence of transcience, when ideologues and visionaries tend to take the place of scientists, are discussed in A Barker and B G Peters (editors), The Politics of Expert Advice Edinburgh University Press, 1993.
7. Cited by R Shroeder, “Cyberculture, cyborg post-modernism and the sociology of virtual reality", Futures, 26(5), 1994, page 519.
8. A Murswieck “Policy advice and decision-making in the GFR”, in G Peters and A Barker, see reference 1.
9. A Murswieck Expertise in the area of environmental policy is used not only by government departments but also by industry and pressure groups. Often the same experts give different advice, adjusting the argument to suit the bias or interest of their funders.
10. A Murswieck This argument is that of W Rudig, “Sources of technological controversy”, in B G Peters and A Barker, see reference 1. Rudig calls for more cutting-edge science to be included in policy advice in order to reduce over-confidence and promote a precautionary policy response. Empirical analysis suggests, however, that the political consequences of such advice may also weaken the capacity of government to make decisive policy. While precaution appeals to environmentalists, it ignores very immediate threats arising from its implementation on victims, while unintended parties may stand to gain.
11. Norway, for example, has always combined public allegations that British emissions are killing Norwegian fish and trees with less public pressure to sell natural gas to British electricity generators. Economists and engineers may have a greater interest in regulation than natural scientists.
12. S A Boehmer-Christiansen, “Energy policy and public opinion: manipulation of environmental threats by vested interests in the UK and West Germany", Energy Policy, 18(9), November 1990.
13. S A Boehmer-Christiansen and H Weidner, The Politics of Reducing Vehicle Emissions in Britain and Germany (Pinter, 1995 forthcoming).
14. The acidification of the ocean was once feared, during the 1970s; just when the ocean was undergoing extensive nationalisation and was therefore in need of protection, oil pollution was killing it. In the early 1980s it was pronounced that the German forest would be dead within a decade or so, just when German nuclear power needed a greener image and less competition from coal, and electronics a market in the car industry.
15. SA Boehmer-Christiansen, “Britain and the IPCC: the impacts of scientific advice on global warming", Environmental Politics, 4(1 &2), Spring &Summer 1995.
16. On acid rain allegations, Britain could not but defend itself. It spent considerable administrative and research resources that might have been better used, for example, on railways or education. German coal, cleaned at great expense, remains subsidised for social and economic reasons in spite of global warming being a popular threat.
17. Thanks to global warming, European energy research and R&D policy have been enabled to stay a little longer on old renewable'tracks defined during the era of expensive energy, but new markets have been opened up for gas, information and space technology.
18. Fusion, many ‘health’ Issues, cancer, limits to growth, star wars are examples of areas In which research policies were adopted without an open political debate. In each case, unsubstantiated promises or threats are made. Global warming is the threat through which Global Change research is funded.
19. B Wynne, “Implementation of greenhouse gas reduction in the EC", Global Environmental Change, 3(1), March 1993, page 128.