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This article discusses the issue of marine plastic pollution and its impact on coastal communities in Maryland, Florida, Hawai'i, and Alaska. These communities, which rely heavily on the marine environment, are disproportionately affected by plastic pollution. The article emphasizes the importance of involving local communities in addressing this issue, as they possess valuable knowledge and practices that can complement scientific research. It also highlights the historical and cultural significance of these communities' connections to the ocean and the need for environmental justice and community involvement in conservation efforts. [Extracted from the article]

"Aren't poverty and need the biggest polluters?," asked Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at the 1972 Stockholm Conference on Human Environment. Half a century later, environmentalists, journalists, politicians, and academics interpret the speech to their liking. We contextualize and juxtapose this historical speech vis-à-vis environmental policies, programs, and campaigns enacted under Gandhi's leadership. A reassessment of these debates opens possibilities beyond the polarized arguments that pit "the environment" against "development" within contemporary global environmental governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy vehicles such as the 2001 Data Quality Act and the Trump Administration "Transparency" rule inappropriately conflate this simplistic model of science with the integrated multi-disciplinary assessments (see Figure 2) that are necessary to inform real-life environmental policy interventions.(Adapted from Helmenstine 2021, note 28.) PHOTO (COLOR): Figure 2. The Scientific Method: It is common to hear admonitions that policy must be informed by science; that policy actions must be "grounded" by an "adequate foundation" of objective science. The Role of Judgment in the Application of Science to Environmental Policy Questions: The EPA Weight of Evidence process provides a good, if somewhat generalized, depiction of how scientific methods and information are deployed in the context of environmental policy. [Extracted from the article]