All U.S. Rivers Said To Be Polluted

September 28, 2002

System Of Environmental Indicators Proposed

September 25, 2002

A new report on the nation's ecosystems paints a grim picture.

There may be no streams left in the United States that are free from

chemical contamination. And about one-fifth of animal species and one-sixth

of plant types are at risk of extinction.

The report comes from the Heinz Center for Science, Economics and the

Environment. http://www.heinzctr.org/ It attempts to put together in one

place the statistics about natural resources that had been spread among

several federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and

the Interior Department.

The report also proposes an objective set of ecological " indicators " about

the nation's environmental health. The study will be updated every five

years.

A news release said that the report also found gaps in what is known about

the nation's resources.

" Just as economic policies are informed through a set of key indicators ...

we as a nation must have clear indicators of the condition of our ecosystems

as a basis for shaping public policies and private sector initiatives, " said

, a professor at Harvard and chairman of the project.

Recommended Posts