Environmental Education Media Project

Policy and Scientific Research

Research that encompasses hydrology, anthropology, carbon sequestration, soil science and micro-financing is deeply challenging. But of course reality is lived and experienced at the nexus and as we contribute to scientific thinking and debate around the critical issues of the day, we have resisted being pigeon-holed. While the need for specialists is clear and we benefit immensely from their contribution, we believe that pulling together and synthesizing research is critical to drive action around these problems.

As much as knowledge is essential before effective action can be taken, so too the lack of complete knowledge should not paralyze decision-making. Rarely do policymakers, business executives, or political leaders have the luxury of certainty when making decisions. And as we support these leaders in formulation and execution of new polices from land-use and animal husbandry, to energy efficiency and hydrologic interventions, we are careful to couch what we know with humility and uncertainty. What we do know still dwarfs what we have yet to fully understand.

John D. Liu's approach to in-depth field work, immersion with local people and intense focus on understanding the ecologic tapestry that supports life shapes our overall organizational efforts. As our work gains ever greater traction, we are committed to applying this same intense determination to our public policy research and advocacy agenda. We will advocate powerfully from what we learn in the field, confirm through scholarship and document as successful. Political leaders can shape and drive behavior through the enactment of legislation and regulations, and through market oversight and appropriate intervention. Whether sending price signals to the market or behavioral signals through social networks, government leadership is essential to resolving the most pressing challenges of our time.