Comments on: Citizens first, scientists second: The argument for advocacy http://www.esa.org/esablog/ecology-in-policy/citizens-first-scientists-second-the-argument-for-advocacy/ EcoTone focuses on ecological science in the news and its use in policy, conservation and education. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:03:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: mhairi http://www.esa.org/esablog/ecology-in-policy/citizens-first-scientists-second-the-argument-for-advocacy/comment-page-1/#comment-13344 mhairi Fri, 29 May 2009 07:40:31 +0000 http://www.esa.org/esablog/?p=1191#comment-13344 scientists - being human and having grown-up with cultural influences just like our non-scientist peers - are just not 100% neutral and the sooner we scientists recognise this, the better all of us can endeavour to disentangle our own beliefs from facts and then why not advocate? we live here on this planet, it's our duty to engage scientists – being human and having grown-up with cultural influences just like our non-scientist peers – are just not 100% neutral and the sooner we scientists recognise this, the better

all of us can endeavour to disentangle our own beliefs from facts and then why not advocate? we live here on this planet, it’s our duty to engage

]]> By: echidna http://www.esa.org/esablog/ecology-in-policy/citizens-first-scientists-second-the-argument-for-advocacy/comment-page-1/#comment-13343 echidna Thu, 21 May 2009 00:33:29 +0000 http://www.esa.org/esablog/?p=1191#comment-13343 I think that scientists should feel free to advocate, especially in their area of expertise. Otherwise, are we saying that it is ok to advocate as long as you don't know what you are talking about? I think that scientists should feel free to advocate, especially in their area of expertise. Otherwise, are we saying that it is ok to advocate as long as you don’t know what you are talking about?

]]> By: Jr http://www.esa.org/esablog/ecology-in-policy/citizens-first-scientists-second-the-argument-for-advocacy/comment-page-1/#comment-13342 Jr Wed, 20 May 2009 22:16:12 +0000 http://www.esa.org/esablog/?p=1191#comment-13342 Scientists should feel free to participate in the political debate like other citizens on all issues with one exception. I am sceptical of scientists advocating when it comes to their own area of expertise. Scientists can inform but not advocate. Advocacy risks damaging the public perception of science and what's worse distort the truth seeking process. I know of no political movement that does not frequently distort the truth in its advocacy and I do not want scientists to do that. The line between advocacy and information isnät always clear of course. But I think scientists should try to have the attitude that they present information to the policymakers and public and it is up to them what they do with it. It is important to realize that scientist can't make "better" moral judgements than other people. Nor can be experts on all the relevant issues on any given subject. A enviromental scientists usually has no particular expertise when it comes to which policy measures are politically feasible or what their economic effects are or even which will actually help the environment. (A poorly thought out ban on certain pollutants might cause substitution of worse pollutants say. No amount of expertise in biology or chemistry can help determine whether that will happen.) There will be plenty of people advocating almost anything even without scientists participating. Scientists should feel free to participate in the political debate like other citizens on all issues with one exception. I am sceptical of scientists advocating when it comes to their own area of expertise.

Scientists can inform but not advocate. Advocacy risks damaging the public perception of science and what’s worse distort the truth seeking process. I know of no political movement that does not frequently distort the truth in its advocacy and I do not want scientists to do that.

The line between advocacy and information isnät always clear of course. But I think scientists should try to have the attitude that they present information to the policymakers and public and it is up to them what they do with it.

It is important to realize that scientist can’t make “better” moral judgements than other people. Nor can be experts on all the relevant issues on any given subject. A enviromental scientists usually has no particular expertise when it comes to which policy measures are politically feasible or what their economic effects are or even which will actually help the environment. (A poorly thought out ban on certain pollutants might cause substitution of worse pollutants say. No amount of expertise in biology or chemistry can help determine whether that will happen.)

There will be plenty of people advocating almost anything even without scientists participating.

]]> By: Wallace J. Nichols http://www.esa.org/esablog/ecology-in-policy/citizens-first-scientists-second-the-argument-for-advocacy/comment-page-1/#comment-13341 Wallace J. Nichols Wed, 20 May 2009 21:30:03 +0000 http://www.esa.org/esablog/?p=1191#comment-13341 Yes, advocate on. For all of the stated reasons and some yet to be discovered by advocating scientists. Yes, advocate on. For all of the stated reasons and some yet to be discovered by advocating scientists.

]]> By: Thomas Kluyver http://www.esa.org/esablog/ecology-in-policy/citizens-first-scientists-second-the-argument-for-advocacy/comment-page-1/#comment-13340 Thomas Kluyver Wed, 20 May 2009 20:27:54 +0000 http://www.esa.org/esablog/?p=1191#comment-13340 Cautious advocacy is a good idea, I believe. There is a danger, though, that scientists might create an unwarranted impression of evidence by advancing their views, e.g. the "Social networking harms your brain" stories: http://www.badscience.net/2009/05/professor-baroness-susan-greenfield-cbe/ (Link to Ben Goldacre) Cautious advocacy is a good idea, I believe. There is a danger, though, that scientists might create an unwarranted impression of evidence by advancing their views, e.g. the “Social networking harms your brain” stories:
http://www.badscience.net/2009/05/professor-baroness-susan-greenfield-cbe/
(Link to Ben Goldacre)

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