Science Inventory

Towards Understanding and Managing Sustainable Complex, Dynamic Environmental/Economic/Social Systems - The Evolving Role of the Natural Sciences

Citation:

Fredrickson, H. Towards Understanding and Managing Sustainable Complex, Dynamic Environmental/Economic/Social Systems - The Evolving Role of the Natural Sciences. Edition 1, Chapter 1, Martin Abraham (ed.), Encyclopedia of Sustainable Technologies. Elsevier BV, AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, , 3-9, (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.10038-7

Impact/Purpose:

This short historical review provides a perspective on how scientific data has been used in the past to inform management decisions on historic contaminated sites and the emerging fields of environmental research that are currently informing environmental management decisions as well as a projection into the future.

Description:

Historically the natural sciences have played a major role in informing environmental management decisions. However, review of landmark cases like Love Canal, NY and Times Beach, MO have shown that the value of natural science information in decision making can be overwhelmed by social considerations. Although U.S. Federal organizations were authorized under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 few have focused their research, development and management efforts on a systems approach which encompasses not only the environmental domain but the economic and social domains of sustainability as well. In this chapter we briefly review this history, summarize selected current natural science efforts focused on sustainable systems science, and offer a prospective on the role of the natural sciences in future environmental decision making. The purpose is not to provide a comprehensive review but a perspective that will help natural scientists and engineers work with economists, decision analysts and social scientists to understand how their efforts can add the most value to environmental decision making and governance.