La scienza utile. Expertise e partecipazione nelle decisioni pubbliche

The complexity of the problems that require government intervention often forces policy makers to resort to science, to reduce as far as possible the uncertainties and support their decisions: but the relationship between expertise and public policies is not linear. Starting from the serious problems for health and environment caused by asbestos (the case of Eternit in Casale Monferrato), the article develops some considerations about the role of scientific knowledge and social participation on sen-sitive and controversial issues, involving citizens directly and require public decisions.