How does Demeritt characterize environmental science?

• A. Purely objective and separate from social influences.
• B. Purely socially constructed with no empirical basis.
• C. Partially constructed, produced through interaction of empirical observation and social context.
• D. Entirely determined by institutions and funding.

Answer: (C)

Environmental knowledge, in Demeritt’s view, is not a pure set of facts nor a completely social construct. It arises from a dialogue between what we observe in the natural world and the social contexts that frame, question, and use those observations. Empirical data—measurements, experiments, models—provide the foundation, but what counts as evidence, which questions are pursued, how results are interpreted, and what gets funded or published are shaped by institutions, policy priorities, funding sources, and cultural values. So environmental science is partially constructed, produced through the interaction of empirical observation and social context. This view highlights that data matter, yet the interpretation and emphasis in environmental knowledge are influenced by human factors and institutions.