Environmental Information: Research, Access and Environmental Decisionmaking

Environmental Information examines how environmental data and knowledge are produced, shared, and used in environmental governance and decision-making. The book analyzes the complex systems and infrastructures that handle environmental information across scientific, regulatory, and public spheres. Fortun investigates multiple case studies of environmental information systems, from government databases to citizen science initiatives to corporate environmental reporting. The text explores barriers to accessing and understanding environmental data, as well as innovative approaches for making such information more transparent and actionable. Drawing on fieldwork and research across disciplines, the book documents how different stakeholders interact with environmental information and navigate competing interests and power dynamics. The analysis covers historical developments in environmental data practices while also examining contemporary challenges and opportunities. The work offers insights into fundamental questions about knowledge production, democratic participation, and environmental justice in an era of big data and information asymmetry. It raises critical perspectives on the role of information infrastructure in shaping environmental governance and collective action.

There are not enough internet reviews to create a summary of this book. Instead, here is a summary of reviews of Kim Fortun's overall work: Readers value Fortun's analytical depth in examining environmental disasters and advocacy movements. Her book "Advocacy After Bhopal" receives particular attention from academics and environmental activists. What readers liked: - Clear breakdown of complex advocacy networks - Detailed documentation of post-disaster community responses - Integration of ethnographic research with policy analysis - Useful framework for understanding environmental justice movements What readers disliked: - Dense academic language limits accessibility - Some sections are repetitive - Limited practical recommendations for activists On Goodreads, "Advocacy After Bhopal" maintains a 4.0/5 rating from 32 reviews. Academic reviewers in journals like American Ethnologist praise its methodological approach, while student reviewers note its value as a teaching tool. One reader on Amazon wrote: "Fortun provides crucial insights into how advocacy groups navigate corporate power, though the academic style can be challenging for general readers."

The Politics of Environmental Data by Sabina Leonelli This text examines how environmental data collection and infrastructure shape policy decisions and scientific understanding through case studies across multiple countries.

Knowledge Infrastructure in the Anthropocene by Paul Edwards The book analyzes how societies create, manage, and use environmental knowledge systems to address global climate challenges.

Digital Rubbish: A Natural History of Electronics by Jennifer Gabrys The work traces the material and informational flows of electronic waste to reveal environmental information systems' physical impact on landscapes and communities.

Living Data: Making Sense of Health Bio-sensing by Celia Roberts and Adrian Mackenzie The text investigates how environmental health data transforms from raw measurements into actionable knowledge through technical and social processes.

Environmental Justice in the Anthropocene by David Pellow The book examines how environmental information access and control impacts marginalized communities' ability to participate in environmental decision-making processes.

🌍 Kim Fortun conducted extensive research in India following the 1984 Bhopal disaster, one of history's worst industrial accidents, which deeply influenced her work on environmental information systems. 📊 The book explores how different stakeholders - from scientists to activists - interpret and use environmental data differently, creating what Fortun calls "information pluralism." 🔬 Fortun is an anthropologist at UC Irvine and serves as the editor of Cultural Anthropology, bringing a unique social science perspective to environmental information studies. 📱 The text examines how digital technologies have transformed environmental monitoring, allowing citizen scientists to collect and share data in ways previously only possible for large institutions. 🗂️ The book challenges traditional approaches to environmental databases by arguing that effective environmental information systems must account for local knowledge and cultural contexts, not just scientific data.