Public participation in environmental policy : considering scientific, counter-scientific and non-scientific contributions

This paper examines public participation in environmental policy, a process deemed necessary for policy success. The author argues that the scientific construction of environmental issues often means that participation in policy-making is difficult when the public is not considered scientifically 'expert'. Even if the notion of 'expertise' is broadened, this does not ensure truly 'public' - i.e. lay - involvement, because lay ideas are still not included and are discounted as 'non-scientific'. Emphasis on the scientific and environmental education of the general public alone will not guarantee policy implementation by individuals. If environmental policy is to be designed so that it can be successfully implemented, other ways in which people relate to their environments as well as through scientific mediation, particularly those linked to the socio-cultural aspects of environmental issues, must be considered and built into environmental policy.