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Despite Improved Environmental Performance,
More Can Be Done
The United States got some good news last month — from an
international panel, no less — about its environmental performance
over the last eight years.
Despite an economy and population that have grown substantially in
that time, the U.S. has significantly improved or reduced its impact
on the environment, according to a report from the Environmental
Performance Review Program of the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The report documents that from 1996-2005, the United States reduced
pollution during a period when there was a 10 percent increase in
the size of its population and a 30 percent increase in the nation’s
gross domestic product.
A Paris-based member group of 30 democratic countries from around
the world, the OECD, through its peer reviews of environmental
management performance, assesses progress, promotes policy dialogue,
and stimulates greater accountability from government.
“Since the first review in 1996, the health of our shared
environment and the strength of our national economy have
experienced dramatic improvement,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L.
Johnson. “By reaffirming our commitment to innovation,
accountability and sound science, we have created a solid footing to
meet the environmental challenges facing the U.S. in the 21st
Century.”
One example of this is the joint venture between the EPA’s Design
for the Environment Program (DfE) and the GreenBlue Institute, which
have developed Clean-Gredients,
www.cleangredients.org,
a searchable database of ingredients for use in formulating cleaning
products with improved human and environmental health profiles. The
database is divided into modules for different ingredient classes,
and the initial surfactants module is now ready for review and
comment.
CleanGredients includes data and information on the environmental
and health attributes of the chemical components of cleaning
formulas and is designed to:
1. Help formulators identify ingredients that may be useful for
environmentally preferable product design and formulation.
2. Provide opportunity for suppliers of cleaning ingredients to
showcase their ingredients with environmental and/or human health
and safety attributes.
“The database aligns broad environmental and human health goals with
the cleaning product industry’s business objectives and will support
formulators in formulating products with human and environmental
health benefits, whether to meet internal corporate standards,
regulatory requirements, voluntary product recognition programs or
green procurement criteria,” said Lauren Heine, director of Applied
Science at GreenBlue.
Though the EPA can’t be blamed for using the OECD report to pat
itself on the back, it’s worth noting that another OECD review
released in October recommends more efficient use of energy and
water by the U.S. as a way to safeguard economic prosperity while
protecting the environment and human health. Despite progress in
some areas over the past decade, more effort is needed in others,
said the OECD, recommending that the U.S. play a more proactive role
in dealing with global environmental concerns.
While also offering recommendations for the U.S. to further improve,
the January report commends the United States for being a pioneer in
market-based solutions, innovative
policies, and partnerships for an improved environment. Noting this
progress, the review commends the United States for “decoupling”
environmental pressures from economic growth and details progress in
a number of key areas, including reduced emissions of major air
pollutants; strengthened drinking water standards;and improved
overall quality of water supplied by public systems.
This U.S. review was based on a series of more than 700 interviews
conducted by OECD’s review team during a two-week visit to the
United States in the summer of 2004. The peer review team included
members from Australia, Japan, Norway, and the United Kingdom,
together with OECD Secretariat staff.
Surely, there’s more to be done, but there’s also more to be gained
by improving performance and reducing the impact of industry and
business on the environment. It only makes sense, both economically
and environmentally.
Thanks and good luck.
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