| • introduce debates from the Philosophy of Science about the problems of so-called “laws of nature” and the social basis of generalized statements about environmental change under orthodox frameworks of science; |
| • discuss the significance of “non-equilibrium ecology” as an alternative to historic approaches to environmental change based on equilibrium, evolution, and a “balance of nature”; |
| • outline differences between “realist” and “constructivist” approaches to environmental explanation; and |
| • suggest ways in which scientific inquiry can acknowledge diversity and non-equilibrium in ecology, yet still allow explanations about a “real” biophysical world. |
This chapter sets the tone for much of the book. It describes how much environmental science has been based on historic practices of sampling and inference that may not fully acknowledge the social and political contexts in which environmental problems are experienced. Furthermore, the chapter discusses how many practices of regulating scientific findings-through peer review or “conjecture and refutation” of ideas-have been
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Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information:
Book title: Critical Political Ecology: The Politics of Environmental Science.
Contributors: Tim Forsyth - Author.
Publisher: Routledge.
Place of publication: London.
Publication year: 2002.
Page number: 52.
This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.
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