This article considers the intellectual traditions that have shaped how we view science, current controversies related to science and environmental policy, and some alternatives to deal with the complexities of science and environmental policy making. It suggests that science should be seen as one form of knowledge that can inform policy, and that understanding the role of science and these other types of knowledge within the distinct phases of the policy process can provide greater insight into how we might think about and use science more constructively.

This article considers the intellectual traditions that have shaped how we view science, current controversies related to science and environmental policy, and some alternatives to deal with the complexities of science and environmental policy making. It suggests that science should be seen as one form of knowledge that can inform policy, and that understanding the role of science and these other types of knowledge within the distinct phases of the policy process can provide greater insight into how we might think about and use science more constructively.