November 2011 Commentary: Citizen Science and Environmental Activism: “Democracy in action”

Participatory data collection and access to resulting information is a hallmark of citizen science.  Lake owners associations, river friends, amateur astronomers, ham radio operators, Audubon’s Christmas bird count, know your local farmer networks, adopt-a-road monitors, neighborhood improvement groups such as Transition Towns and the Natural Step, and many others involving all sorts of grassroots organizations exemplify democracy in action using science. Empowering technologies such as the Internet and inclusive approaches that enable grassroots activism and bottom up community participation are emerging as powerful alternatives to business-as-usual decision-making. A citizen science initiative and environmental activism campaign in the news this month are Safecast and Tar Sands Action, respectively.