Why the Environmental Data & Governance Initiative is archiving public environmental data.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Data Governance
• Environmental Justice

Background:

• Publicly accessible environmental data empower researchers and civic groups to tackle environmental issues and promote accountability.
• These crucial datasets are increasingly vulnerable to political interference and suppression.

Discussion:

• The Environmental Data & Governance Initiative (EDGI) actively archives environmental data to ensure its long-term availability.
• Beyond mere archiving, EDGI emphasizes situating data within its broader political and economic contexts.

Key Insights:

• Contextualizing data is essential for robust scientific practice.
• Understanding the political economy of data is key to democratic knowledge production.
• This approach strengthens the foundation for achieving environmental justice.

Outlook:

• Continued efforts are needed to safeguard public environmental data from political threats.
• Integrating data archiving with contextual analysis will enhance its utility for environmental advocacy and policy.
• Promoting data literacy and critical data studies is crucial for democratic engagement with environmental information.