Progress Toward Sustainability in the United States: A Report Card and a Recommended Agenda John Dernbach Widener University Law School

Overview 1. Project Overview 2. Report Card 3. Recommended Agenda

1. Project Overview

Scope and history Evaluation of U.S. activities Recommendations for near-term future actions (next 5-10 years) Two volumes: Stumbling Toward Sustainability (2002) (U.S. actions between 1992 and 2002) Agenda for a Sustainable America (January 2009) (U.S. actions since 2002)

28 Chapters in Agenda for a Sustainable America--Covering Diversity of Topics Consumption, population, and poverty Conservation and management of natural resources Waste and toxic chemicals Land use and transportation International trade, finance, and development assistance Education Local, state, and national governance

41 Contributing Authors Recognized experts Interdisciplinary From law schools, universities, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector

Why should U.S. care? Freedom, opportunity, quality of life Future generations Stronger, more efficient America Safer, more stable and secure world “Special role” of U.S. Moral and religious basis for sustainable development Political/legal commitment

II. Report Card

Bad News U.S. generally moving in the wrong direction on a variety of issues. U.S. has, for example, an enormous ecological footprint. Although the United States has less than 5 percent of the world’s population, our economy accounts for more than 28 percent of the world’s production of goods and services. The United States leads the world in use of natural resources, and, in most cases, in use of natural resources per capita, including fossil fuels and materials.

Good News The United States is reaching a point where most decision makers understand issues within a sustainability framework, and understand why that perspective is both attractive and necessary. The number of governmental and nongovernmental organizations engaged in sustainable development activities has greatly increased since 2002. Since 2002, climate change is an important driver for sustainability for many decision makers in corporations, local governments, educational institutions, and religious organizations.

Six areas of greater progress Local governance Brownfields redevelopment Business and industry Colleges and universities Kindergarten through 12th grade education Religious organizations.

III. Recommendations

1. The United States should systematically reduce its ecological footprint.

2. The United States government must adopt, as soon as possible, greenhouse gas emission reduction programs that will reduce U.S. emissions to our fair share of safe global emissions.

3. The United States should create more employment opportunities in environmental protection and restoration, and make it easier for unskilled and low-income persons to enter and remain in the workforce.

4. Sustainable development should be an organizing principle for all levels of government.

5. Nongovernmental actors should play a major role in achieving sustainability.

6. Individuals, families, and consumers should have more sustainable options in the decisions they make. Can you: --walk to work? --purchase a car that gets 100 mpg? --live in a big city, send your kids to a good public school, and feel safe?

7. Sustainable development should become a central part of public and formal education. This includes: --curriculum --facilities/buildings --research --community outreach --institutional mission

8. The United States should strengthen its environmental and natural resources laws: Clean Air Act Clean Water Act Endangered Species Act Resources Conservation and Recovery Act Etc.

9. The United States needs to play an international leadership role on behalf of sustainable development.

10. The United States needs to improve the information and data available to the public to make decisions for sustainability.

Achieving a sustainable America Sustained political commitment Technological innovation Invention—economic, legal, social

“They gave their today for our tomorrow.”

Who are we, and how do we want to be remembered?

Prof. John C. Dernbach Widener University Law School 3800 Vartan Way Harrisburg, PA 17106-9382 (717) 541-1933 (717) 541-3966 (fax) jcdernbach@widener.edu http://ssrn.com/author=411559 http://www.johndernbach.com/