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It is not uncommon that a group of scientists from many different
disciplines join a working group, discuss a topic of interest and
edit a volume of articles related to this topic. They may even
agree on a jointly written introduction or conclusion . The study
group "Environmental Standards" established in 1987 as an expert
panel of the German Academy of Sciences and Technology in Berlin
broke with that common tradition and became involved in a
fascinating, but also pain-staking experiment to compose a document
on setting environmental standards that has been literally written
and authorized by all group members. The group consisted of eleven
individuals representing the following disciplines: physics,
chemistry, biology, engineering , law , psychology, and
sociology/economics. The study group had two major goals: First, to
provide a document that summarizes the state of the art in each
discipline with respect to the topic of environmental standards.
Since it is impossible to cover all environmental hazards in one
book, the panel members agreed to limit the discussion of the
scientific material to one major case study: the effects of
ionizing radiation. This topic was selected because the scientific
data base is well developed in this area and levels of
anthropogenic release can be compared with natural background
levels . These two conditions are rarely met by most chemical
hazards.
The study group Environmental Standards' established in 1987 as an
expert panel of the German Academy of Sciences and Technology in
Berlin compiled this book on setting environmental standards that
has been literally written and authorized by all group members. The
group consisted of eleven individuals representing the following
disciplines: physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, law,
psychology, and sociology/economics. Firstly, Environmental
Standards summarizes the state of the art in each discipline with
respect to the topic of environmental standards, limited to one
major case study: the effects of ionizing radiation. Within the
subject of ionizing radiation and its impacts, the book intends to
provide a complete and accurate picture of the various health
impacts and environmental problems. Second, this volume provides
guidelines for a desirable procedure that would guarantee the
inclusion of all scientific data and reasoning but would also
assure the incorporation of social costs, cultural values and
individual preferences in the decision making process. The study
includes a section that describes an analytic framework for
collective decision making under uncertainty and a section on
institutional innovations necessary to implement a procedure for
integrating scientific input and rational decision making. The
procedural suggestions are focused around a new environmental
institution that is empowered to initiate and promulgate new
standards on the basis of a present process of linking scientific
data with social values and preferences. The volume represents a
rare example of integrating the natural and social sciences and
developing consistent and complete procedural guidelinesfor
standard setting in a democratic society.
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