National Academies Press: OpenBook
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×

SUSTAINABILITY
              FOR THE
NATION

Resource Connections and Governance Linkages

Committee on Sustainability Linkages in the Federal Government

Science and Technology for Sustainability Program

Policy and Global Affairs Division

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

Washington, D.C.

www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS    500 Fifth Street, NW     Washington, DC 20001

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was supported by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under award number EP10H002179, U.S. Geological Survey under award number G10AP00149, U.S. Department of Energy under award number DE-PI0000010, TO #8, National Aeronautics and Space Administration under award number NNX11AB43G, U.S. Department of Agriculture under award number 59-0790-1-124, National Science Foundation under award number CBET-1135117, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under award number WC133R-11-CQ-0048, TO #1, BP, Lockheed Martin, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation under award number 2011-36690, and the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-26230-9

International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-26230-5

Additional copies of this report are available for sale from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.

Copyright 2013 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering and Medicine

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.

www.national-academies.org

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×

This page intentionally left blank.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×

 

COMMITTEE ON SUSTAINABILITY LINKAGES IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

THOMAS GRAEDEL (CHAIR) (NAE), Clifton R. Musser Professor of Industrial Ecology, Yale University

ROBERT ANEX, Professor of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison

WILLIAM CARROLL, JR., Vice President, Occidental Chemical Corporation

GLEN T. DAIGGER (NAE), Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, CH2M HILL

PAULO FERRÃO, Professor, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Technical University of Lisbon

HOWARD FRUMKIN, Dean, University of Washington School of Public Health

SALLY KATZEN, Senior Advisor, Podesta Group; Visiting Professor, New York University School of Law

ANNA PALMISANO, Associate Director of Science for Biological and Environmental Research, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy (retired)

STEPHEN POLASKY (NAS), Fesler-Lampert Professor of Ecological/Environmental Economics, University of Minnesota

LYNN SCARLETT, Co-Director, Center for Management of Ecological Wealth, Resources for the Future

ROBERT STEPHENS, International Chair, Multi-State Working Group on Environmental Performance

DEBORAH SWACKHAMER, Professor and Charles M. Denny Jr., Chair in Science, Technology, and Public Policy, Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota

LAUREN ZEISE, Chief, Reproductive and Cancer Hazard Assessment Branch, California Environmental Protection Agency

Science and Technology for Sustainability Program Staff

MARINA MOSES, Director

JENNIFER SAUNDERS, Program Officer

DOMINIC BROSE, Program Officer

EMI KAMEYAMA, Program Associate

DYLAN RICHMOND, Research Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×

This page intentionally left blank.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×

Preface

In July 2011, the National Research Council’s (NRC’s) Science and Technology for Sustainability Program initiated a new study, Sustainability Linkages in the Federal Government. This followed a series of discussions held by the NRC’s Roundtable on Science and Technology for Sustainability that explored linkages between topics critical to long-term sustainability. The premise is that achieving sustainability is a systems challenge that cannot be addressed by separately optimizing pieces of the system. To address this systems challenge, an ad hoc committee with a wide range of expertise and experience in government, academia, and business was convened. Brief biographies of the individual committee members are provided in Appendix A. The committee was charged to produce a report with consensus findings that provides an analytical framework for decision formulation and decision making related to linkages of sustainability. This framework can be used by U.S. policy makers and regulators to assess the consequences, trade-offs, and synergies of policy issues involving a systems approach to long-term sustainability and decisions on sustainability-oriented programs. The framework was to include social, economic, and environmental domains of sustainability, highlighting certain dimensions that are sometimes left unaccounted for in cross-media analyses.

During the course of the study, the committee conducted several fact-finding meetings and committee meetings. The first committee meeting was held September 20-21, 2011, in Washington, D.C. During this meeting, sponsors discussed areas of interest to their agency or organization, and several panel discussions addressed a variety of perspectives (state and local, industry, nongovernmental, and national) on sustainability linkages.

Three subsequent fact-finding meetings explored specific examples that cut across a variety of geographies and scales and featured a range of sustainability challenges. The purpose of these meetings was to examine in detail a number of approaches to challenges involving either connections among sustainability-related resources, or of linkages across agencies addressing such challenges. At these meetings, the committee heard from and questioned those involved about issues of science, monitoring, organization, communication, and governance. The geographies included sustainability management of coastal systems (the

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×

Puget Sound, the Great Lakes; committee meeting in Seattle, WA, February 6-8, 2012), regional nonurban systems (the Mojave Desert, the Platte River; committee meeting in Omaha, NE, April 11-12, 2012), and urban systems (Phoenix, Philadelphia; committee meeting in Tempe, AZ, June 11-12, 2012). The sustainability issues that were the focus of the examples involved the tension of managing multiple users of a given resource, and multiple stressors on elements of these systems. System elements included water quality and availability, ecosystem health, endangered species, energy, transportation, urban infrastructure, public health, commerce, and food production. The linkages involved federal agencies, regional organizations, state agencies, local government, nongovernmental organizations, and citizen stakeholder groups. A fifth committee meeting was held on July 16-19, 2012, in Woods Hole, MA, to begin to draft the consensus report, and a sixth meeting was held on October 11-12, 2012, in Washington, DC. An agenda for each meeting is provided in Appendix C.

The committee gratefully acknowledges all of the speakers for their informative presentations, and Derek Vollmer, National University of Singapore, and Stephanie Ariganello, Michigan Sea Grant, for preparing background papers for the meetings. The information provided at these meetings is used throughout this report and provided important perspectives which were utilized in this report’s findings and conclusions.

In this report, Chapter 1 first describes the challenge that the committee addressed. Chapter 2 discusses the current impediments to effective government action, Chapter 3 explores the fact-finding examples and the lessons they provide, Chapter 4 develops the decision framework for linkage challenges, and Chapter 5 provides a vision for improved responses to sustainability linkages. The committee acknowledges Janene Cowan, University of Minnesota, and Kurt Barnes, Barnes Bros., for providing support for visual materials for the decision framework.

The report would not have been possible without the sponsors of this study, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, BP, Lockheed Martin, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation. The April 2010 planning meeting was supported by the Interface Environmental Foundation.

On behalf of the committee, I want to express our thanks and appreciation to Marina Moses, director of the Science and Technology for Sustainability Program, Jennifer Saunders, the program officer responsible for our study, and Emi Kameyama, program associate, for the time and effort they put into assembling the committee, planning the meetings, and organizing the report. I also thank the National Academies staff, Dominic Brose, program officer; Dylan Richmond, research assistant; Patricia Koshel, senior program officer; Sara Frueh, media officer II; Stephen Mautner, executive editor; Adriana Courembis, financial associate; Radiah Rose, editorial projects coordinator; and Kathleen McAllister,

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×

associate program officer (through October 2010), for their support and assistance with study activities.

Finally, I thank, especially, the members of the committee for their tireless efforts throughout the development of this report.

Thomas Graedel, Chair                    
Committee on Sustainability Linkages
in the Federal Government                

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×

This page intentionally left blank.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×

Acknowledgments

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Academies’ Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process.

We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report: David Allen, University of Texas, Austin; Craig Benson, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Nancy Creamer, North Carolina State University; Kirk Emerson, University of Arizona; Vasilis Fthenakis, Columbia University; Shelley Hearne, Johns Hopkins University; John Onderdonk, California Institute of Technology; and Kenneth Ruffing, Independent Consultant.

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Robert Frosch, Harvard University and Richard Wright, National Institute of Standards and Technology (Retired). Appointed by the National Academies, they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×

This page intentionally left blank.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×

This page intentionally left blank.

Page xvii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×

 

Abbreviations and Acronyms

ASU

Arizona State University

BLM

Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)

BOR

Bureau of Reclamation

BPA

Bonneville Power Administration

CAP LTER

Central Arizona-Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research

CDC

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CDFG

California Department of Fish and Game

CEC

California Energy Commission

CEF

Corporate Eco Forum

CEQ

Council on Environmental Quality

CSO

Combined Sewer Overflow

DMG

Desert Managers Group

DOD

U.S. Department of Defense

DOE

U.S. Department of Energy

DOI

U.S. Department of the Interior

DOT

U.S. Department of Transportation

DRECP

Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan

EPA

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

ESA

Federal Endangered Species Act

FEMA

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FWS

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

GAO

U.S. Government Accountability Office

GC

Governance Committee (Platte River Program)

GPRA

Government Performance and Results Act

GSI

Green Stormwater Infrastructure

HUD

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

IJC

International Joint Commission

JLARC

State of Washington Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee

LTER

National Science Foundation’s Long-Term Ecological Research

NASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NCCP

Natural Communities Conservation Plan

NEPA

National Environmental Protection Act of 1969

Page xviii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×

NGO

Nongovernmental Organization

NIH

National Institutes of Health

NOAA

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOP

National Ocean Policy

NPS

National Park Service, DOI

NRC

National Research Council

NSF

National Science Foundation

OECD

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

OMB

Office of Management and Budget

PHS

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

PMF

Presidential Management Fellow

PSP

Puget Sound Partnership

PWD

Philadelphia Water Department

REAT

Renewable Energy Action Team

SEES

Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability Program, National Science Foundation

SES

Senior Executive Service

USDA

U.S. Department of Agriculture

USGS

U.S. Geological Survey, DOI

WSAS

Washington State Academy of Science

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×
Page R1
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×
Page R2
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×
Page R3
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×
Page R4
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×
Page R5
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×
Page R6
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×
Page R7
Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×
Page R8
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×
Page R9
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×
Page R10
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×
Page R11
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×
Page R12
Page xiii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×
Page R13
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×
Page R14
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×
Page R15
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×
Page R16
Page xvii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×
Page R17
Page xviii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13471.
×
Page R18
Next: Summary »
Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connections and Governance Linkages Get This Book
×
Buy Paperback | $46.00 Buy Ebook | $36.99
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

A "sustainable society," according to one definition, "is one that can persist over generations; one that is far-seeing enough, flexible enough, and wise enough not to undermine either its physical or its social system of support." As the government sector works hard to ensure sufficient fresh water, food, energy, housing, health, and education for the nation without limiting resources for the future generations, it's clear that there is no sufficient organization to deal with sustainability issues. Each federal agency appears to have a single mandate or a single area of expertise making it difficult to tackle issues such as managing the ecosystem. Key resource domains, which include water, land, energy, and nonrenewable resources, for example, are nearly-completely connected yet different agencies exist to address only one aspect of these domains.

The legendary ecologist John Muir wrote in 1911 that "when we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe." Thus, in order for the nation to be successful in sustaining its resources, "linkages" will need to be built among federal, state, and local governments; nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); and the private sector. The National Research Council (NRC) was asked by several federal agencies, foundations, and the private sector to provide guidance to the federal government on issues related to sustainability linkages. The NRC assigned the task to as committee with a wide range of expertise in government, academia, and business. The committee held public fact-finding meetings to hear from agencies and stakeholder groups; examined sustainability management examples; conducted extensive literature reviews; and more to address the issue. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connection and Governance Linkages is the committee's report on the issue.

The report includes insight into high-priority areas for governance linkages, the challenges of managing connected systems, impediments to successful government linkages, and more. The report also features examples of government linkages which include Adaptive Management on the Platte River, Philadelphia's Green Stormwater Infrastructure, and Managing Land Use in the Mojave.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    Switch between the Original Pages, where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  9. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!