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In environmental circles, uncertainty reigns supreme. Whereas science has traditionally been regarded as an authoritative tool for providing solutions to many knowledge-based problems, it has been less successful in the recent environmental context because of increasing competition from other interests.

scientific findings are married with local knowledges, community surveys, leaked documents, and investigative journalism, breeding more confusion and less consensus. It doesn't matter how many scientists stand up and say that we should be really, really concerned about global warming or mercury poisoning or the loss of biodiversity, we're still not acting.

If there is uncertainty in science, then scientists have an obligation to inform the public about these uncertainties when they influence their health, lives, and livelihoods.