WHAT'S THE PUBLIC GOT TO DO WITH IT?

摘要

Major technical advances in the latter half of the twentieth century led to greater accessibility to information by a broader segment of society. Events during that same time led to skepticism by many Americans of government and big business actions. These changes have resulted in an uncompromising demand by many for a greater role in decisions that affect citizen's daily lives, health and economic welfare. The events of September 11 have given even more importance to properly communicating risk and involving citizens in the decision process. This presentation explores how these technical and social changes have affected decision-making in today's environmental and risk management programs. An historical perspective is given on the events that led to these changes. Behaviors that no longer work in dealing with stakeholders are explored and new methods that have proven successful are presented.