The Environmental Consequences of Religious Scientism

The problem of scientism -- the religious-like belief that science is necessarily the best or only valid approach to learning more about the physical world and solving applied problems.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” –Albert Einstein

In my previous blog I introduced the problem of scientism — the religious-like belief that science is necessarily the best or only valid approach to learning more about the physical world and solving applied problems. Here I address some of the comments to that blog by discussing the negative consequences of scientism in agriculture and environmental conservation. I conclude by offering a few “nonscientific” alternatives for situations in which a formal scientific methodology may not be the most appropriate and effective approach.[snip]

Yet, many well-intentioned people believe that ever-more science is the key to both improving our understanding of today’s pressing environmental problems and designing effective solutions to solve them. Consequently, we continue to forge ahead with more research instead of, or even at the expense of, urgently needed conservation actions.
[more…]