197 



lOO lAVWONMKNTAL RESf^RCH AND DFVtl-OPMENT 



operate independently of povernmcni and industr)'. the\- are iii a position 

 to undenakc critical evaluation of existing policies and to present alterna- 

 tives. Insulated from the more immediate pressures that drive federal and 

 state agencies. NGOs arc able to offer a longer-range perspective and con- 

 tinuity of thinking to policy planning. They can be a significant force in 

 breaking policy gridlock by functioning as "bridging insrirutions," organi- 

 zations that can circumvent obstacles, resolve disputes, and catalyze consensus 

 building."" 



In pursuing their goals, environmental NGOs may or may not op>er- 

 atc in an advocacy context. Some organizations do not take public F>osition$ 

 on political issues. Others are politically active, entering the fray in an effon 

 to influence policy development in various ways and to increase their mem- 

 bership and enhance their visibility. The activities of most environmental 

 NGOs fall somewhere in between these two poles of political involvement. 

 With respect to scientific questions, the nonadvocacy NGOs have some ad- 

 vantages in that the credibility of their work is not called into question be- 

 cause of political leanings. Such credibility is particularly imp>ortant for 

 organizations that maintain specialized scientific expertise. 



NGOs' Contribution to Poucymaking 



Over the years, a number of NGOs have made major contributions to national 

 environmental policy. Resources for the Future pioneered much of the early 

 thinking on economics and the environment, proposing the use of economic 

 incentive-based approaches to achieving environmental quality objeaives. 

 The G)nservation Foundation and the World Wildlife Fund have been par- 

 ticularly successful in dispute resolution and in building a consensus among 

 diverse outside groups with rcspca to policy initiatives. The "no net loss 

 in wetlands" policy goal resulted from this type of effon. The World Re- 

 sources Institute has played a key role in the area of global climate change 

 and technology policy, and the Environmental Law Institute is a leader in 

 the analysis of the Judicial and regulatory aspects of policy issues. Several 

 other NGOs make imponant contributions to environmental poliq'making 

 in a range of different ways. 



NGOs may be organized in response to specific governmental needs. 

 The Health Effects Institute (HEI), established in 19S0 and jointly funded 

 by government and industry, works to develop the "credible facts" required 

 to make reasoned policy decisions with respect to the regulation of auto- 

 mobile emissions. The HEI-Asbcstos Research was established in 19S8 in 

 response to a request to HEI from Congress to try to resolve the controversy 

 about the health risks posed by asbestos in buildings. And Clean Sites, Inc., 

 was established in 198} to "accelerate the cleanup execution" at Superfund 

 hazardous waste sites.*' 



