130 



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ENVIRONMENTTAJ. RESEARCH AND DEVEtOPMENT 



to progress, then are we also ctnbracing resource depletion, environmental 

 degradation, and economic disparity in the name of this progress?" He points 

 out that the solution is to "begin to think of science and technology in en- 

 tirely different terms — not as mechanisms to increase our wealth and com- 

 fort through exploitation of material resources, but as sources of innovation 

 that can drive us to less consumption, less p>oIlution, less depiction of re- 

 sources, and lower rates of population growth."''' 



Technology has already allowed us to use resources more efficiently, 

 but meeting the future demands of both developing and developed coun- 

 tries will require new technologies that arc highly efficient and that result 

 in little or no waste (see Box i). 



NATURAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES 



Meeting the challenges of the future requires research in both the natural 

 and social sciences, as well as multidisciplinary studies that cut across fields 

 of science. A major research goal in the natural sciences, for example, is 

 to advance our knowledge of earth systems so that environmental processes 

 can be better modeled. This will require sophisticated technology, including 

 space-based and earth-based observation systems to collect data and to verify 

 model predictions, and infirmation management systems to maintain com- 

 prehensive databases. Advances in the biomedical sciences will cast light 

 on the susceptibilities of humans to environmental risks. More knowledge 

 of the basic mechanisms of initiation, promotion, and prevention of dis- 

 eases and disorders will allow us to anticipate, and respond to, environ- 

 mental health threats. Similarly, advances in all areas of environmental 

 engineering, earth systems, and social sciences are needed in order to iden- 

 tify and develop new pollution prevention techniques and to promote miti- 

 gation measures. 



Perhaps most imponant, a wide range of research advances will be 

 needed if "sustainable development" is to be achieved— growth that is a 

 product of efficient consumption of energy and materials, minimizing waste 

 and maximizing recycling, stabilizing land use, and ensuring that no damage 

 is done to the future environment on which further growth depends. 



Society, however, cannot apply a quick technological fix to every 

 environmental problem it encounters. The social sciences have a vital role 

 to play in understanding how human activities influence the physical, chemi- 

 cal, and biological processes of the earth system and in devising means of 

 changing patterns of human behavior. Finding more effective ways to pro- 

 mote stable population b especially imponant. Since environmental degra- 



