ABSTRACT
Considered as a separate and unified branch of public policy, concern for the environment is a relatively new player on the political stage. Of course, governments in Britain and elsewhere have always taken decisions affecting the environment, but it is only since the 1970s that the issue has emerged as a distinct policy area, and only since the late 1980s that concerted popular demand for action has been evident. One of the key dimensions of the environment as a political issue is its technical core. Much of the action imperatives surrounding the issue, therefore, have their roots in scientific evidence that a problem exists. Equally, however, there is a scientific debate about the nature, causes and consequences of particular environmental problems, and this makes decision-making particularly difficult and often contentious.
