Why is the U.S. finding it so difficult to agree on policies to address an ecological threat that, if it materializes, could have catastrophic consequences for itself and the rest of the world? Although much of the controversy surrounding global warming appears to revolve around scientific principles, political and economic forces actually dominate. This paper discusses the primary factors that determine policy outcomes (e.g., uncertainty, the structure of government, economic impacts, the media) and demonstrates how scientific knowledge interacts with the formulation of policy in the U.S.

Posted with permission © 1999 Heldref Publications