208 



CONCLUSION 111 



eastern Nonh America, soil degradaiion in the prairies, deforestation and spe- 

 cies loss in the Amazon, and many other environmental phenomena." 



Wc have recommended, therefore, that the federal government foster multi- 

 disciplinary programs in federal agencies and academic programs. In par- 

 ticular, we believe that a larger f>ercentage of the total federal environmental 

 R&D budget should be devoted to interdisciplinary policy research. 



Finally, many of our recommendations are intended to strengthen 

 the links bcrwccn federal agencies, whose environmental R&D programs 

 tend to be isolated from each other. For example, many of the changes we 

 have called for in EPA laboratories would help coordinate their activities. 

 We have also called for closer links between NASA's environmental moni- 

 toring activities and those of other federal agencies, for closer ties between 

 NIFHS and EPA's health research program, for an integration of DoE lab- 

 oratories into environmental R&D programs, and for closer connections be- 

 tween DoD and other agencies doing environmental research. 



THE IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP 



Oui recommendations cover a wide range of areas— from the missions of 

 individual government agencies to reform of school curricula — because the 

 need for change is great and the environmental problems we face are urgent. 

 We would stress, however, that the many imponant problems that the fed- 

 eral environmental R&D cffon faces do not stem from a lack of talented 

 people or resources. The recommendations we have made for funding in- 

 creases and new personnel arc modest in comparison to the past R&D ex- 

 penditures made at the DoE national laboratories, for example. What the 

 federal environmental R&D effon needs most urgently is leadership — 

 leadership to direa the talents of scientists, engineers, and others throughout 

 the nation toward well-defined objectives. 



THE PARADOX OF PROGRESS 



We live in a time of paradox. Never in history have so many people had 

 access to so much knowledge, such advanced technology, and so many re- 

 sources. Yet billions of people live in poveny, and in some regions of the 

 world living standards are falling, not rising. Never in hinory have so many 

 people known so much about the dangers to our environment, or had so 



