Expertise: specialised knowledge in environmental politics and sustainability

The dominant role of technology in contemporary societies requires the public to rely on individuals with specialized knowledge to invent, design, manufacture, and maintain increasingly complex artifacts and networks. As Stilgoe et al. ( 2006 : 16) note, “Our everyday lives are played out through a series of technological and expert relationships.” In spite of the increasing reliance on technologies and technical expertise, there has been an erosion of trust between the public and technical experts since the 1970s as contemporary environmental, social, and economic problems have revealed the limitations and unintended consequences of scientific and technological development. Thus, the role of technical experts in contemporary society is in flux. The emphasis in recent decades on creating more sustainable modes of life has only increased the tensions between scientific and technological development, environmental impacts, social conditions, and specialized knowledge.