The Environmental Protection Agency of the US federal government is in the center of many controversial actions because, well, they are at the center of many controversial, unknown, unclear problems. No group of people gets "it" right all the time, and the EPA certainly has had its share of political and economic woes. I've met a number of employees of the EPA and have found them to be concerned, competent, and committed to their purpose of protecting people and the environment. And they face a lot of pressure. Like we all face.
The following blog entry from Dr. Barbara Karn about how important and "big" the environment plays in our survival is worth noting.
Sustainability is often described as a three-legged stool, with one
leg each for the environment, the economy, and society.
The Biosphere experiment taught us that the legs are not even, and our major support comes from the
environment. Without the natural capital provided by our environment,
we'd have no society or economy.
Convincing evidence for the importance
of the natural environment came from the Biosphere 2 project.
In the early 1990's, a huge structure called Biosphere 2 was built in the Arizona
desert. Over 3 enclosed acres housed a variety of ecosystems with
manmade recycling systems designed to imitate earth's natural systems.
The project, however, could not independently sustain humans or the
other organisms inside. There were problems with oxygen and food, and
outside electricity had to be used. Biosphere 2 taught us
that people don't have the ability to design a self-sustaining
ecosystem for human life.
The Reality is... Reality
If we lose our natural ecosystem by failing
in environmental protection, in the words of Dr. Gro Brundlant,
chair of the first World Commission on Environment and Development,
there will be no sanctuary.
EPA's mission, protecting the environment
and human health, is key to our sustainability and survivability.
Read more at EPA Blog