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ARTICLE · 19 AUGUST 2016

"I Believe In Science." And Then What?

McCarter & English
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I am sure you heard Hillary explain last night why she is going to take action on climate change. "I believe in science." We weren't so articulate when we counseled last week to "Go to the Data," but she figured it out.

United StatesEnvironment
J. Wylie Donald
J. Wylie Donald

Originally published July 29, 2016

I am sure you heard Hillary explain last night (7/28/16) why she is going to take action on climate change. "I believe in science." We weren't so articulate when we counseled last week to "Go to the Data," but she figured it out. No plagiarism issues either.

As practicing lawyers, however, belief is tricky. We may believe, but our clients don't. Or we believe only in some things, but not in others. And anyway, why does belief matter? What matters is achieving the client's goals using the law and if denying climate change delays regulation by several years and saves the client several million, or even several thousand, dollars, then non-belief is appropriate.

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