Address to the New Zealand Ecological Society Conference
The Commissioner gave an address at the New Zealand Ecological Society Conference on the 28 November. Entitled, How can ecology shape the world of policy more effectively? The speech outlined how ecology had helped to inform the work of the PCE and discussed the challenges of integrating science into the world of policy making.
He noted that the uncertainty and complexity inherent in scientific understanding does not easily translate into rules and regulations and can cause significant frustration amongst scientists, but cautioned:
"Policy is at its heart about trade-offs and different balances between all those systems. Science is a critical input into good policy making, but it is not some sort of trump card that can be played to win every argument."
