11.373 | Fall 2004 | Graduate

Science, Politics, and Environmental Policy

Course Description

This class examines the role of science in the US environmental policy-making process. It investigates the methods scientists use to learn about the natural world, the way scientific knowledge accumulates, the treatment of science by advocates and the media, and the role of science in legislative, administrative and …
This class examines the role of science in the US environmental policy-making process. It investigates the methods scientists use to learn about the natural world, the way scientific knowledge accumulates, the treatment of science by advocates and the media, and the role of science in legislative, administrative and judicial decision making. It also considers how other political systems use science in an effort to put the US approach in comparative perspective.
Learning Resource Types
Lecture Notes
A photo of a calm lake with trees in the distance.
A pristine landscape. (Image courtesy of Michael Jastremski, openphoto.net.)