Can Science and Risk Analysis Overcome Legacies? J. Karr, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7980
Protecting ecological health requires a comprehensive and accurate way to assess ecological condition plus a deeper understanding of ecological risk. The Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation (CRESP) is committed to advancing these areas. But advances in science and risk analysis will not be enough. Success depends on our ability to overcome legacies that trap us in the past. Our disciplinary boxes, our institutions, and our political processes trap us. When these legacies control decision making, scientific advances and risk analysis become secondary. To develop the critical information needed to protect ecological health, CRESP has expanded its thinking. Through the integration of a multidiciplinary team or researchers, broader and more comprehensive approaches to problem solving can be developed. Albert Einstein recognized this problem when he said, "Serious problems cannot be dealt with at the level of thinking that created them." How can we best present our analyses to counteract the power of the past?
Work supported by CRESP through the DOE, AI#DE-FC01-95EW55084.
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