An advocate for science

Adapting to the political ecosystem of Washington, D.C.

David Blockstein (Ph.D. in Ecology ‘86) is a senior scientist at the National Council for Science and the Environment in Washington, D.C.

At the risk of being called an advocate, David Blockstein does just that—advocates that scientists dive into the political process to ensure that science informs debate, especially about the environment.

Blockstein, Ph.D. graduate of the College of Biological Sciences, is a senior scientist (and former executive director) for the National Council for Science and the Environment in Washington, D. C., a nonprofit, nonpartisan group of scientists and policymakers working to ensure scientists have a say in the supercharged atmosphere of national politics.

“Every day we see the consequences of decisions made without great understanding or appreciation for the use of science,” says Blockstein. “It seems every environmental issue is now being turned into a shouting match rather than being determined on a substantive, factual basis.”

Blockstein grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, where bird-watching field trips led by his fifth-grade teacher triggered his “innate biophilia,” he recalls. “I was absolutely hooked.” He earned a B.S. in wildlife ecology from the University of Wisconsin and traveled to Minnesota to study under an “exceptional flock” of ornithology professors.

Blockstein also had an early interest in politics, beginning with his mother’s campaigns for county commissioner. From 1987 to 1988, he worked with the House of Representatives Environment Subcommittee on national biodiversity legislation. “To work with [Congress] and provide some education to people in that political system, you have to operate within the rules of that system,” he says. “You have to learn to adapt to that ‘ecosystem.’”

Blockstein sees what he calls a “schizophrenic perspective” toward science. “On the one hand, science is one of the few things that everybody will agree is a good thing. On the other hand, science is increasingly used as a political football. It’s abused by the left and abused by the right. I don’t think anybody is really innocent when it comes to the misuse of scientific information.”

Many scientists avoid the political fracas, afraid that political involvement will brand them advocates and cost them credibility, Blockstein says. Nonetheless, they can bring unique qualities to the public debate, including information, knowledge, and critical thinking. To avoid the appearance of bias, Blockstein says, “in everything you do, you need to obey the rules of science.”

Among his recent projects is the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors, representing about 120 colleges of environment and natural resources and institutes for environmental studies (including the U of M). Representatives strive to improve environmental programs. “Without education, everything else is temporary,” Blockstein says.

Blockstein, who studied and taught at Itasca, laments the “tremendous decline in the study of natural history. We have wonderful ways of simulating nature, but we’re missing the opportunities to experience nature.” University programs emphasize molecular biology and theoretical work at the expense of fieldwork, he says. He worries students will miss the chance he had, as a young birdwatcher, to link science with nature.

“There is no substitute,” he says, “for being out in the field.”

—Greg Breining