Scientific Uncertainty and the Politics of Whaling

by Michael Heazle

Overview

Focusing on the internal workings of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the author explores the impact of political and economic imperatives on the production and interpretation of scientific research. Central to this work are the epistemological problems encountered in the production of 'truth', whereby scientific knowledge has made uncertainty a tool in the service of political objectives. Copublished: University of Washington Press

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781896445373
Publisher:	University of Alberta Press
Publication date:	01/01/2006
Series:	Circumpolar Research Series (Inactive)
Edition description:	UK ed.
Pages:	274
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.75(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Michael Heazle is a research fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
1. Introduction
2. The IWC 1949-59: An Exercise in Uncertainty Becoming Certainty
3. The Antarctic Collapse: Uncertainty Takes a (Brief) Holiday
4. The Worm Turns: The IWC's Reinterpretation of Uncertainty
5. Scientific Uncertainty and the Evolution of the Superwhale
6. Conclusion
Appendix
Notes
Bibliography
Index

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"An excellent analysis of how scientific uncertainty and the precautionary principle have been used in a highly emotional and politically charged context. The problem of scientific uncertainty affects a great many issues, far beyond whaling or living resources in general, and the thesis Heazle advances will be of interest in these very different contexts."—William T. Burke, University of Washington

Editorial Reviews

"In Scientific Uncertainty and the Politics of Whaling, Michael Heazle undertakes a detailed historical review of the use of science and politics in shaping the policies of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). This volume provides an insightful look at the intrinsic links between science and policy, reminding the reader that science does not provide objective truths for decision-makers to translate into scientifically correct policies."—Cinnamon Pinon Carlarne, nternational Journal of Maritime History

From the Publisher

"In Scientific Uncertainty and the Politics of Whaling, Michael Heazle undertakes a detailed historical review of the use of science and politics in shaping the policies of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).... This volume provides an insightful look at the intrinsic links between science and policy, reminding the reader that science does not provide objective truths for decision-makers to translate into scientifically correct policies."

nternational Journal of Maritime History - Cinnamon Pinon Carlarne