Symposium theme intro

Theme introduction

The scientific mission of the SENSE Research School is to promote an integrated understanding of environmental change in terms of the mechanisms that cause it and the consequences that result from it. Many different perspectives on causes and consequences of environmental change are possible. Together these perspectives contribute to the integrated and multidisciplinary understanding which is pursued in SENSE.





At the same time, considerable scientific and public controversy exists about which causes and which consequences of environmental change are more important to take into account for effective environmental policies. Ideally, such scientific and public controversies should be informed by the best available scientific knowledge.





More and more institutes now publish assessment reports on the current 'state of the environment' (e.g. North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 2002 -- this report is a recent example and is available from WWW.CEC.ORG). This general tendency may be a positive development in itself, but the findings of these reports are not always in scientific agreement. One Danish statistician, for example, has recently published a critical book under the title "The skeptical environmentalist: measuring the real state of the world" (Lomborg, 2001 -- Chapter 1 of this book is available from WWW.LOMBORG.ORG). The general message of his skeptical analysis: 'contrary to the laments of many environmentalists, the state of the environment is getting better and better and we need not worry too much'. Sometimes it almost seems as if controversy itself is one of the defining elements of environmental sciences and policies.





Such pressing challenges to the quality of environmental sciences is sufficient reason for the SENSE research school to organize a scientific meeting about some of the current controversies on the causes and consequences of environmental change as they may be found at the basis of environmental assessments. Since the SENSE community represents a host of complementing scientific perspectives, all SENSE members are hereby invited to submit a contribution on their work in progress and/or to suggest specific topics for sessions to be organized as part of this meeting.

General challenge of this SENSE symposium

What kind of results/insights/investigations from the different scientific disciplines in the SENSE research school are relevant for the quality of environmental policy perspectives and for what specific reasons?

General underlying assumption

It is not possible to make prudent environmental policy without a basis of high quality environmental science.





On the basis of the symposium programme thus assembled by the SENSE community, specific experts from circles of policy, business and research institutes will also be invited to take part in the discussions. Given the relevance of such scientific discussions to the adequacy of environmental policies, representatives of the serious press will also be invited.

Book contributions

Last but not least: this SENSE symposium will subsequently be the basis from which an edited book will be produced, encompassing a representative account of the diversity of perspectives and analyses available in the SENSE research school. If you are prepared to meet the stringent deadlines for this book publication (full procedure and deadlines will be announced later), then your contribution may be published as a chapter in the SENSE book which will appear in the Integrated Environmental Technology Series, of which Dr.Ir. P. Lens is the editor.

The deadline for submitting your proposal

is May 15, 2002:

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