Science-Policy Interface: Beyond Assessments

Abstract

Fukushima Research Needs World's Support SERIOUS CONFUSION SURROUNDS THE ACCIDENT AT FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI NUCLEAR POWER Plant with regard to the amount of permissible radiation exposure, particularly in children ("Fukushima revives the low-dose debate," D. Normile, News Focus, 20 May, p. 908; "Citizens fi nd radiation far from Fukushima," D. Normile, News & Analysis, 17 June, p. 1368). The primary reason for this confusion is the lack of scientifi c evidence (1). On 29 April, Osako Toshiso, Cabinet Advisor and a professor at University of Tokyo who specializes in radiation safety, offered a tearful resignation. He claimed that the 20-mSv limit on annual radiation exposure for elementary school playground use set by the government was too high, and recommended that it should be lowered to 1 mSv/year. The government says that these standards are based on those of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (2). These may be suitable for adults, but there is insuffi cient evidence to argue that the same standards apply to children. It is now necessary to initiate a large-scale cohort study of childhood thyroid cancer in the Fukushima region. This study would register all children in the affected region; periodically and accurately measure their internal and external radiation exposure; and follow the children for more than 10 years. This would mark the most important scientifi c study that Fukushima can now offer to the people of the world. This study would augment the lessons learned from Chernobyl. Although some middle-term (~10 years) and middle-scale studies have been published on Chernobyl (3-6), most recovery projects lacked economic support (7), and the subtle health effects of low-level radiation exposure have yet to be determined. A long-term and large-scale follow-up study of the Fukushima accident can provide fi rm and reliable evidence for low-dose effects of radiation exposure on thyroid cancer in children. Given the current confusion and disorder, it would be diffi cult for Japanese researchers and the Japanese government to execute such a study singlehandedly (8). However, they should not have to organize the effort alone. The risk of childhood exposure to radiation is a real one for people living in any region of the world. It is time to organize an international joint research team supported by countries worldwide to uncover lessons to be learned from Fukushima for the sake of future humanity.

Biodiversität und Gesellschaft

“…Die Kontroversen, die sich im wissenschaftlichen Milieu abgespielt haben, können anhand der beiden Reaktionen auf den Kommentar von Perrings et al (2011) dokumentiert werden. In diesen wird der Fokus auf die Stärkung der Rolle der Wissenschaft und die besondere Rolle globaler Assessments infrage gestellt (Hulme et al 2011;Briggs und Knight 2011 len (Umwelt-)Politik zu analysieren. In diesem Sinne geht es auch um eine "kritische" wissenschafts-und gesellschaftstheoretisch fundierte Alternative zum Ansatz der "epistemic communities", der zu Beginn der 1990er Jahre von Peter Haas eingeführt worden ist.…”

Ensuring the success of IPBES: between interface, market place and parliament

“…A series of contributions from both social and natural scientists [2][3][4][5][6][7] have critically accompanied and appraised the development of IPBES. These have focused on the importance (and difficulty) of ensuring that IPBES remains open to heterogeneous knowledge and experiences (beyond peerreviewed scientific expertise) and the problem of scales (no one-size-fits-all solutions), while also cautioning against neoliberal new public management doctrines that favour the monetization of biodiversity above any other conceptualization.…”

Towards a Reflexive Turn in the Governance of Global Environmental Expertise. The Cases of the IPCC and the IPBES

“…However, these calls for an "IPCC for biodiversity" have been contested from the start (Görg et al 2007, Hulme et al 2011, Perrings et al 2011, Turnhout et al 2012. After seven years of intense negotiations the IPBES was formally established in 2012 under the auspices of UNEP (Spierenburg 2012).…”