CONSORTIUM
STUDY POINTS PENNSYLVANIA
TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Imagine
a Pennsylvania with a vibrant economy,
clear air, clean streams, and a healthy, growing population.
The
Commonwealth has taken a significant step toward that bright future with a
comprehensive study of environmental, economic, and social trends in the
state conducted by the Pennsylvania Consortium for Interdisciplinary
Environmental Policy (PCIEP) and funded by the Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP). Pennsylvania is one of just a handful of
states to have completed such a detailed study.
The
PCIEP has released a draft
report titled “State of the Commonwealth: Is Pennsylvania Moving Towards
A Sustainable Future?” which was produced by Temple University Ambler,
Duquesne University, and Juniata College, with the Center for Sustainable
Communities at Temple University Ambler spearheading the research project.
On
Thursday, March 18, the DEP will kick off the Rachel Carson Forum on the
Future of Environmental Protection with an overview of the State of the
Commonwealth report from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Rachel Carson State
Office Building, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg. Dr. Richard Bowden, PCIEP
Chair, will moderate the program, which will be followed by a question and
answer session.
“Prevention
is easier than a cure. By looking at trends in isolation, as we’ve done
in the past, we have had a tendency to react to a crisis rather than
looking ahead to find ways to prevent a crisis,” said Dr. Kathi Beratan,
coordinating researcher for the two-year project and a Research Fellow
with the Center for Sustainable Communities. “The best phrase that
I’ve heard to explain sustainability is ‘don’t cheat on your
kids.’ Make decisions today that don’t close down options in the
future.”
According
to Dr. Bowden, one of the primary outcomes of the report should be
increased cooperation among state agencies and programs.
“Cooperation
is essential — cooperation among the DEP and other state agencies,
cooperation among communities and surrounding states — to move
Pennsylvania in a positive direction,” he said. “The problems that we
face are certainly not unique. We must take advantage of the opportunities
presented by common problems to enhance our quality of life and keep our
environment healthy.”
The
report identifies trends, both positive and negative, in a variety of key
categories, including water quality, the environment, social resilience,
land use, infrastructure, demographics, health, the economy, education,
and crime.
Air
and water pollution, for example, has decreased in the Commonwealth since
1970 and the cleaning of polluted sites in the state has been progressing
— 1,100 brownfield sites were cleaned between 1995 and 2002. Graduation
rates and violent crime rates compare favorably to other states and most
community water systems consistently meet drinking water standards.
There
is, however, cause for concern in a number of areas as well.
Almost
one third of Pennsylvania’s streams do not meet stream standards and
almost 175 million pounds of toxic substances were emitted into the air,
water, and ground in 2001. Pennsylvania’s transportation infrastructure
is in poor condition, income inequity is rising, and voter turnout is in
decline.
“Of
particular concern is that there are a lot of stresses on our natural
systems related to unplanned development (sprawl). Pennsylvania has a
fairly unique problem in that it has one of the most fragmented local
government systems in the United States — most decisions are made at the
local level,” Beratan said. “The trend is that we keep building
outward. While our cities deteriorate, we keep cutting down valuable open
space.”
Socially,
Beratan said, “there is a disconnect between people and their
communities.”
“Trust
in others, our capacity to work together, is on the decline, which is very
disturbing. One of the key recommendations of this study is for the state
to help communities build their capacity to move toward sustainability
through programs such as Growing Greener and Growing Smarter,” she said.
“These programs should be expanded and integrated following the concepts
of sustainability and resilience. People are the most valuable resource a
community has; getting people connected with and active in their community
is vital.”
According
to Dr. Jeffrey Featherstone, Director of the Center for Sustainable
Communities at Temple University Ambler, this is the first time that the
state has had a detailed set of trends and
“sustainability indicators” with which to track and evaluate
its current and future environmental, social, and economic programs.
“The
old process was to essentially track the number of permits and penalties
given out in the state to determine the general trends. Now we’re
looking at specific resources — how is the state doing on a number of
variables and how do they relate to each other?” he said. “No one had
ever put this information together in a single report. The state will be
able to gauge its programs, particularly if it continues to move towards
outcomes-based strategic planning.”
With
the draft report completed, there will be a 60-day period within which the
public can send their comments on the report’s findings to the PCIEP.
The study is available for review by the public at
www.paconsortium.state.pa.us/stateofthecommonwealth.pdf.
For
more information on State of the Commonwealth: Is Pennsylvania Moving
Towards A Sustainable Future? call 717-783-8504. For more information
on the Center for Sustainable Communities at Temple University Ambler,
call 215-283-1540.
CONTACT: James Duffy, (215) 283-1290, duffyj@temple.edu, release available by e-mail
