66
C. Heeps . V. May Building Bridges to Science: Making Coastal Science Better Understood
decisions. Better integration is needed between education, planning and local action.
Interest groups are demanding a greater transparency within industrial and government agencies. Although improvements have been made in communication channels
and the flow of information between these bodies through voluntary initiatives such as
coastal fora, it is important that the scientific information is used appropriately and
correctly.
There are thus four major issues for the improved understanding of processes in the
coastal zone and the way they may be affected by development:
• Issues of scientific knowledge - what is known, how reliable this information is, and
how certain are its predictions
• Communication - how is scientific information selected, communicated and used
• The place and training of translators or interpreters
• The provision of adequate long-term funding for education and interpretative
projects
Public understanding of science and technology depends on the information provided by industry and the environmental NGOs as well as government agencies. Each
agency has its own agenda, remit and legislative responsibility and public concerns
often arise because the published scientific evidence differs from the perceptions of the
people affected. Cultural indifference is not acceptable. There is a serious lack of competence in the social and economic understanding of coastal systems, but there is also
a very poor level of communication of verifiable, rigorous information between the
various sectors which work in the coastal zone.
Acknowledgements. We gratefully thank the UK Committee for the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS) for a development grant which supported part of the programme
described above, Dorset County Council's Countryside Service at Durlston Country
Park (and in particular its Coastwatch project for assistance in collecting underwater
sounds) and the School of Conservation Sciences at Bournemouth University for continuing support for the SEAHEAR project.
References
Belton N. (1996) Candied porkers: British scorn of the scientific. In: Spufford F, Uglow J (eds) Cultural
babbage: technology, time and invention. Faber and Faber, London, pp 240-265
Durant J (1996) Jury out in the cold on science. Times Higher, 19 January 1996:16
Greenlaw L (1996) Unstable regions: poetry and science. In: SpuffordF, UglowJ (eds) Cultural babbage:
technology, time and invention. Faber and Faber, London, pp 215-226
Haldane JBS (1927) Possible worlds and other essays. Chatto and Windus, London
Office of Science and Technology (1997) Progress through partnership: 16 (marine). HMSO, London
Pollock J, Steven 0 (1997) Don't patronise the public. New Scientist, 155 (2101):49
Quarrie J (1992) Earth Summit '92. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development,
Rio de Janeiro
Uglow J (1996) Introduction: possibility. In: Spufford F, Uglow J (eds) Cultural babbage: technology, time
and invention, Faber and Faber, London, pp 1-23
Wolpert L, Richards A (1997) Passionate minds. Oxford University Press, Oxford
C. Heeps . V. May Building Bridges to Science: Making Coastal Science Better Understood
decisions. Better integration is needed between education, planning and local action.
Interest groups are demanding a greater transparency within industrial and government agencies. Although improvements have been made in communication channels
and the flow of information between these bodies through voluntary initiatives such as
coastal fora, it is important that the scientific information is used appropriately and
correctly.
There are thus four major issues for the improved understanding of processes in the
coastal zone and the way they may be affected by development:
• Issues of scientific knowledge - what is known, how reliable this information is, and
how certain are its predictions
• Communication - how is scientific information selected, communicated and used
• The place and training of translators or interpreters
• The provision of adequate long-term funding for education and interpretative
projects
Public understanding of science and technology depends on the information provided by industry and the environmental NGOs as well as government agencies. Each
agency has its own agenda, remit and legislative responsibility and public concerns
often arise because the published scientific evidence differs from the perceptions of the
people affected. Cultural indifference is not acceptable. There is a serious lack of competence in the social and economic understanding of coastal systems, but there is also
a very poor level of communication of verifiable, rigorous information between the
various sectors which work in the coastal zone.
Acknowledgements. We gratefully thank the UK Committee for the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS) for a development grant which supported part of the programme
described above, Dorset County Council's Countryside Service at Durlston Country
Park (and in particular its Coastwatch project for assistance in collecting underwater
sounds) and the School of Conservation Sciences at Bournemouth University for continuing support for the SEAHEAR project.
References
Belton N. (1996) Candied porkers: British scorn of the scientific. In: Spufford F, Uglow J (eds) Cultural
babbage: technology, time and invention. Faber and Faber, London, pp 240-265
Durant J (1996) Jury out in the cold on science. Times Higher, 19 January 1996:16
Greenlaw L (1996) Unstable regions: poetry and science. In: SpuffordF, UglowJ (eds) Cultural babbage:
technology, time and invention. Faber and Faber, London, pp 215-226
Haldane JBS (1927) Possible worlds and other essays. Chatto and Windus, London
Office of Science and Technology (1997) Progress through partnership: 16 (marine). HMSO, London
Pollock J, Steven 0 (1997) Don't patronise the public. New Scientist, 155 (2101):49
Quarrie J (1992) Earth Summit '92. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development,
Rio de Janeiro
Uglow J (1996) Introduction: possibility. In: Spufford F, Uglow J (eds) Cultural babbage: technology, time
and invention, Faber and Faber, London, pp 1-23
Wolpert L, Richards A (1997) Passionate minds. Oxford University Press, Oxford