Politics

Michael Tillotson

The last paragraph of Peterson et al. (1997) calls for political action, not scientific action. We should avoid confusing the two. As citizens, we have important political responsibilities, and as scientists, special competencies in meeting some of them. However, we lose credibility as informants and influence as advisors if we present our politics as somehow more "scientific" than our neighbor's.

We should tell truth to power. Unfortunately, that's both complex and difficult. Instead of corrupting our science in a vain attempt to fit it into political agendas, we should educate the politically skilled and their constituents. When people know what they're doing, they will do right more often. If that is not true, science has little to contribute to this or any matter.

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Peterson, G., G.A. De Leo, J. Hellmann, M.A. Janssen, A. Kinzig, J.R. Malcolm, K. O'Brien, S.E. Pope, D. Rothman, E. Shevliakova, and R. Tinch. 1997. Uncertainty, climate change, and adaptive management. Conservation Ecology [online]1(2): 4. Available from the Internet. URL: http://www.consecol.org/vol1/iss2/art4