1 From activism to science and from science to activism in environmental-health justice conflicts
The authors of this article emphasise that knowledge is neither static nor unique. It can be exchanged between activists, academia, and policy circles: from science to activism and from activism to science. Existing scientific knowledge is being used by activists to expose wrongdoings or improve practices and knowledge in environmental and health conflicts. Activists can either adopt scientific knowledge and data in their own argumentation or produce new scientific knowledge, either by becoming scientists themselves or in co-operation with scientific experts. Local and scientific knowledge is combined to challenge government policies and the knowledge produced by corporate actors. The figure of the expert-activist is also explored. With scientists engaging in the public sphere and vice versa, the boundaries between activists and scientists are increasingly blurred.