Did you know that scientists practice philosophy in their everyday research? Just as IEAM bridges the gap between scientific research and the application of science in environmental problem-solving, pragmatism bridges scientific theory and practice. In this episode, we hear from Glenn Suter about pragmatism—a philosophy that underlies the scientific approach. He and Susan Cormier are the authors of a commentary entitled “Pragmatism: A practical philosophy for environmental scientists.” Access their article in the April 2013 issue of IEAM.

Podcast available on iTunes and YouTube.

About the Guest
Glenn Suter is the Book Reviews Editor of IEAM and is employed as an environmental risk assessor and Science Advisor. He has authored more than 200 publications over his 37-year career. He has received the SETAC Global Founder’s Award and the AEHS Career Achievement Award, and he is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His interests include ecological epidemiology, ecological risk assessment, the conceptual bases for environmental science and decision making, and poetry.

Articles Referenced in this Podcast
Suter G and Cormier S. 2013. Pragmatism: A practical philosophy for environmental scientists. IEAM 9#2:181–184.

Further Reading
Church. 2013. IEAM Spotlight: Environmental Scientists as Philosophers? SETAC Globe 14(3). Available from: http://ww2.setac.org/globe/2013/march/ieam-spotlight.html