Getting Ecological Paradigms into the Political Debate: Or Will the Messenger Be Shot?

Summary

There was never a more important time for ecologists to speak out about applied, socially relevant issues. Two forces make this difficult. First, applied issues quickly become the matter of politics, and ecology is often not strong enough to be used in independent arbitration, nor do many ecologists want to step into such an arena. The second follows from the first: the media puts emphasis on controversy in political issues, but since environment is somewhat peripheral to the main media thrusts of politics, economics, business, and arts, coverage of environmental issues tends to be shallow and nonanalytical. On the other hand, public-opinion surveys show a pressing demand for more and better coverage of science. If ecological science is to impose its authority on public environmental debate, ecologists must first work to ensure that the media are equipped with more and better-qualified environmental journalists and must then establish a productive interface with the media. There is an urgent need for a state-of-the-science document, directed at journalists and decision makers, summarizing the major ecological concepts that have been defined over the past 25 years.