CEC Newsletter March 1996

Foresight Committee Achieves Consensus

By George Farenthold

The Foresight Committee has done what many thought impossible regarding our local environment -- reached a consensus.

The report documenting deliberations between scientists, public officials, environmentalists, industry representatives and community activists that lasted 20 months is titled "Seeking Environmental Improvement" and is a model for other communities to emulate.

Its findings did not come easy and the Center for Global Studies, its support staff, Foresight Committee members and the science subpanels are to be congratulated for their perserverance and commitment to the project.

What you will find between the report's covers is not a whitewash of Houston's problems nor a list of special interest to blame but rather a true consensus of our shared community values, a document of responsibility for our families, our neighbors, and the local environment we all share and want to improve.

I was pleased to work on the project and represent CEC, but I think the most important thing to do is to get "Seeking Environmental Improvement" into the hands of elected and other governmental officials so that its risk rankings and scientific findings can be utilized by our policy makers to improve our home and our environment.

Houstonian and National Audubon Society Board Member Ted Eubanks termed the Foresight report a document "of immense common interest." Indeed, "Seeking Environmental Improvement" is exactly that.

CEC members can order copies through our office at 957-2227.

(Farenthold is president of the CEC Board of Trustees and a Foresight Committee member.)

"Seeking Environmental Improvement" has been published by the Houston Environmental Foresight Committee as a result of almost two years of investigation and discussion. The publication, which addresses the questions of which environmental concerns need the most improvement or which pose the least risk, represents a landmark union between leaders of industry, environmental interest groups, the inner-city and rural landowners finding common ground on this issue.

The rankings of environmental concerns released by the Committee include outdoor air pollution as the highest regional concern; indoor contamination and the need for parks and undeveloped areas as the highest community concerns; and habitat alteration and loss as the highest concern for natural systems.

. The Committee report compares environmental concerns based on their total risk. For instance, outdoor air pollution was ranked as one of the four highest concerns. It can be compared to drinking water quality, ranked as a relatively low concern, or radiation, ranked as one of the area's least concerns. The Foresight Committee's findings were reached after extensive consultation with a group of scientists who studied all of these concerns from the perspectives of human health, ecosystems, economic well-being and quality of life. The Foresight Science Panel findings are contained in a separate report, "Houston Environment 1995", to be available soon.

Drawing diverse members from eight counties, the Foresight Committee publication is the first step to encourage public agencies and the private sector to improve the Houston region's environment. After the committee of volunteers reviews public reaction to its report, it plans to convene work groups to develop recommendations in areas of public interest. Individuals and organizations are invited to participate in these work groups and other activities. For more information or to receive a copy of the report, contact the Houston Environmental Foresight Program, (713) 363-7913 or the CEC (713) 957-2227.