How can conservation succeed in a polarised society? This episode features Taylor Dotson, a Science and Technology Studies scholar and an associate professor at New Mexico Tech. Together with podcast host Dr. Volker Hahn, Dotson discusses his new book, “Conservation by the people – The Future of Biodiversity in a Divided World”. In it, Dotson describes “fanatical confrontations over nature”, and he explores ways of resolving environmental disputes productively and democratically. How can we better understand those who oppose conservation policies? How do we prevent biodiversity policy from becoming as polarising as climate change? How can incremental change through trial and error help us achieve what Dotson calls “biodiversity democracy”?

Related links:

Taylor Dotson at New Mexico Tech: https://www.nmt.edu/academics/class/faculty/tdotson.php

Taylor Dotson on Substack: https://tamingcomplexity.substack.com/

Taylor Dotson’s latest book “Conservation by the people – The Future of Biodiversity in a Divided World”: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262052092/conservation-by-the-people/

Taylor Dotson’s second book “The Divide – How Fanatical Certitude is Destroying Democracy”: https://www.taylorcdotson.com/the-divide.html