The language of nature matters: we need a more public ecology

Abstract

The language we use to describe nature matters. It is used by policy analysts to set goals for ecological restoration and management, by scientists to describe the nature that did, does, or could exist, and by all of us to imagine possible and acceptable conditions of environmental quality. Participants in environmental decision making demand a lot of the language and terminology used to discuss nature.We expect it to be precise and valid (i.e., we expect it to allow accurate scientific descriptions of the environment and of environmental quality). We also expect it to be powerful and fair (i.e., we expect it to help stakeholders negotiate acceptable and achievable goals for environmental management). The problem is that the language of nature is often neither precise nor value neutral. There exist multiple, conflicting, imprecise, and biased definitions of the terms used to discuss nature. These vagaries of language can cause conflict that delays or derails well-intentioned efforts to restore and manage nature. This conflict results when people use the same terms to intentionally or unintentionally mean different things or use particular definitions to suppress or promote particular values.

Citation

Hull, Bruce R.; Robertson, David P. 2000. The language of nature matters: we need a more public ecology. In: Gobster, Paul H.; R. Bruce, eds. Restoring nature: perspectives from the social sciences and humanities. Washington, DC: Island Press: 97-118. 2000