{"id":1168,"date":"2019-01-25T20:44:16","date_gmt":"2019-01-25T20:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/?p=1168"},"modified":"2021-02-23T23:15:14","modified_gmt":"2021-02-23T23:15:14","slug":"is-science-biased-toward-natural-environments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/2019\/01\/25\/is-science-biased-toward-natural-environments\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Science Biased Toward Natural Environments?"},"content":{"rendered":"

by<\/em><\/p>\n

Robert T. Lackey\"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

In science, when you see the words \u201cnatural,\u201d \u201chealthy,\u201d \u201cdegraded,\u201d and \u201cbiological integrity,\u201d\u00a0 all these terms, and many others, have embedded assumptions<\/a> about what someone or some organization regards as a desirable value choice, a preferred policy choice.<\/p>\n

These and similar words have no place in science<\/a>.\u00a0 They are classic examples of normative science<\/a>.\u00a0 Their use in scientific publications is simply policy advocacy<\/a> disguised as science.<\/p>\n

The words are fine for management, expected in policy advocacy, but not OK in science.<\/p>\n

Here is a test:\u00a0 first, put on your science<\/em> hat.\u00a0 Now imagine that the public owns a 5,000-acre stand of old-growth (never logged) forest which is being considered by a government agency<\/a> for an alternative use.\u00a0 Scientifically, is it preferable to (1) preserve this landscape as is, or<\/em> (2) remove the trees and build a wind farm?<\/p>\n

Neither ecological state is preferable scientifically<\/em>!\u00a0 \u00a0At least not without assuming, perhaps unwittingly, a policy preference, a value choice.\u00a0 If the science relevant to this policy question is presented in such a way to subtly favor<\/a> either policy option, it is a classic example of normative science.<\/p>\n

It may look like a scientific statement.\u00a0 It may sound like a scientific statement.\u00a0 It is often presented by people who we assume to be operating as scientists. \u00a0\u00a0But, such statements in science are nothing more than \u201cpolicy advocacy masquerading as science<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anyone following basic scientific principles should say:<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cPristine ecosystems are neither superior, nor inferior, to human-altered ones.\u00a0 Different, for sure, but not better or worse.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Let me wrap up by offering Charles Darwin\u2019s advice to scientists.\u00a0 Remember that he was under a lot of social pressure to make his scientific findings conform to the dominant political and theological views of the time.\u00a0 He offered pithy guidance to scientists:<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u201cA scientific man ought to have no wishes, no affections, a mere heart of stone.\u201c<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Strict, uncompromising, and unequivocal advice, but spot-on for scientists both then and now.<\/p>\n

***************<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Robert T. Lackey In science, when you see the words \u201cnatural,\u201d \u201chealthy,\u201d \u201cdegraded,\u201d and \u201cbiological integrity,\u201d\u00a0 all these terms, and many others, have embedded assumptions about what someone or some organization regards as a desirable value choice, a preferred policy choice. These and similar words have no place in science.\u00a0 They are classic examples… Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4014,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1237562],"tags":[150863,140586,1237561,1324,716983,205490,150862,150858,2794,150861],"class_list":["post-1168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ecological-policy","tag-biological-integrity","tag-conservation","tag-conservation-biology","tag-ecology","tag-ecosystem-health","tag-environmental-management","tag-environmental-protection","tag-environnmental-science","tag-natural-resources","tag-restoration-ecology"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p94BFg-iQ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1190,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/2019\/02\/12\/does-the-public-expect-too-much-from-science\/","url_meta":{"origin":1168,"position":0},"title":"Does the Public Expect Too Much from Science?","author":"Robert Lackey","date":"February 12, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Robert T. Lackey More than two decades ago, while Deputy Director of EPA\u2019s national research laboratory in Corvallis, Oregon, I presented a talk to a group of community activists about why salmon populations along the West Coast have dropped to less than 5% of their historical levels. \u00a0I\u2019ve given\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ecological Policy"","block_context":{"text":"Ecological Policy","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/category\/ecological-policy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/files\/2019\/01\/Blog-Logo.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2132,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/2024\/11\/24\/the-emergence-of-religious-ecology\/","url_meta":{"origin":1168,"position":1},"title":"The Emergence of Religious Ecology","author":"Robert Lackey","date":"November 24, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Robert T. Lackey Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences Oregon State University Robert.Lackey@oregonstate.edu \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 An especially muddying factor in unraveling ecological policy disputes is identifying the role of religious views in shaping scientific information. \u00a0These days, religious, ethical, or moral values are often embedded in \u201cscience\u201d to form a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ecological Policy"","block_context":{"text":"Ecological Policy","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/category\/ecological-policy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/2961\/files\/2024\/11\/Definitions-of-Key-Words-in-Ecological-Policy-Management-Science-Gray-Lackey-2024-1-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/2961\/files\/2024\/11\/Definitions-of-Key-Words-in-Ecological-Policy-Management-Science-Gray-Lackey-2024-1-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/2961\/files\/2024\/11\/Definitions-of-Key-Words-in-Ecological-Policy-Management-Science-Gray-Lackey-2024-1-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/2961\/files\/2024\/11\/Definitions-of-Key-Words-in-Ecological-Policy-Management-Science-Gray-Lackey-2024-1-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/2961\/files\/2024\/11\/Definitions-of-Key-Words-in-Ecological-Policy-Management-Science-Gray-Lackey-2024-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/2961\/files\/2024\/11\/Definitions-of-Key-Words-in-Ecological-Policy-Management-Science-Gray-Lackey-2024-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2371,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/2025\/08\/01\/how-do-scientists-lead-people-into-the-trap-of-assuming-that-natural-is-preferred-policy-wise\/","url_meta":{"origin":1168,"position":2},"title":"How Do Scientists Lead People into the Trap of Assuming that “Natural” is Preferred Policy-wise?","author":"Robert Lackey","date":"August 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Robert T. Lackey Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences Oregon State University \u221e\u221e\u221e\u221e\u221e\u221e In disciplines such as environmental science, fisheries and wildlife management, and environmental management, I am concerned that the scientific enterprise has become captive to a particular worldview, a preferred policy preference \u2014 the idea that \u201cnature\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ecological Policy"","block_context":{"text":"Ecological Policy","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/category\/ecological-policy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/2961\/files\/2025\/08\/Blog-Artwork-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1212,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/2019\/03\/18\/axioms-that-help-deconstruct-ecological-policy\/","url_meta":{"origin":1168,"position":3},"title":"Axioms for Deconstructing Ecological Policy","author":"Robert Lackey","date":"March 18, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by\u00a0 Robert T. Lackey Many of today\u2019s ecological policy issues are politically contentious, socially wrenching, and replete with scientific uncertainty.\u00a0 They are\u00a0often described as wicked, messy policy problems (e.g., reversing the decline of salmon;\u00a0 deciding on the proper role of wildfire on public lands;\u00a0 what to do, if anything, about\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ecological Policy"","block_context":{"text":"Ecological Policy","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/category\/ecological-policy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/files\/2019\/01\/Blog-Logo.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1055,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/2017\/08\/19\/is-ecosystem-health-a-useful-metaphor-in-science\/","url_meta":{"origin":1168,"position":4},"title":"Is Ecosystem Health a Useful Metaphor in Science?","author":"Robert Lackey","date":"August 19, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"by Robert T. Lackey Several years ago, toward the end of my career with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, one of the \u201coutreach\u201d staff in Washington, DC, telephoned me in Corvallis and posed a question:\u00a0 \u201cIn science, why isn\u2019t the notion of ecosystem health a useful metaphor to convey scientific\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ecological Policy"","block_context":{"text":"Ecological Policy","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/category\/ecological-policy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/files\/2019\/01\/Blog-Logo.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1069,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/2014\/09\/21\/is-science-the-key-to-resolving-environmental-policy-disputes\/","url_meta":{"origin":1168,"position":5},"title":"Is Science the Key to Resolving Environmental Policy Disputes?","author":"Robert Lackey","date":"September 21, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"by Robert T. Lackey Is more and better science the key to resolving environmental policy debates?\u00a0 Some scientists \u00a0\u2014 and many others without training in science \u2014 seem to think so.\u00a0 The short answer, however, is that science is rarely, if ever, is the key. But, how often have you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ecological Policy"","block_context":{"text":"Ecological Policy","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/category\/ecological-policy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/files\/2019\/01\/Blog-Logo.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4014"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1168"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1168\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1682,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1168\/revisions\/1682"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/lackey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}