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M 



ENVIRONMENTAL RESEAKCH AND DEVELOPMENT 



scored by the past record of research accomplishments. U.S. R&D efforts 

 in many areas have been influenced strongly by the accomplishments of 

 scientists and engineers in other nations. For example, much of the original 

 research on major environmental problems, such as acid rain and global 

 climate change, was done by investigators in Europe and Scandinavia." 

 The United States, as a major source of scientific and technological know- 

 how, will have to play a leading role, in concert with other major devel- 

 oped countries. 



GOALS AND PRIORITIES 



Finally, it is important to aniculate our environmental goals clearly and to 

 set well-defined priorities. To achieve a sustainable society, we must have 

 a clear understanding of our environmental objectives and a strategy for 

 achieving them. This is especially true at a time when both developing and 

 developed countries are faced with major economic challenges. Since not 

 all environmental problems can be solved at once, we must determine which 

 are the roost important. A dose linkage between the needs of policymakers 

 and the research enterprise is essential for this putp)ose. 



AN EFFECTIVE FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL R&D PROGRAM 



As a nation, we hcc enormous environmental challenges, and strong and 

 efifectivc federal R&D programs arc a prerequisite to anacking these prob- 

 lems successfully and, in doing so, providing hope and a means of action 

 for today's generation and those of the fiiturc. As the chapters that follow 

 will show, the existing fi^icral R&D structure was construaed for a time and 

 set of issues that no longer correspond to today's demands. An examination 

 and rethinking of the federal government's environmental R&D effon is 

 essential in order to ensure the scientific resources and leadership that a 

 national and global environmental proteaion cfFon requires. 



