Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
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Challenges of the 21st Century
Efforts of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address en-
vironmental degradation over the last 40 years have had some marked successes,
including reductions in particulate and sulfur air pollution, reductions in indus-
trial discharges in waterways, and removal of lead from gasoline. Yet enormous
challenges remain. Although many of the more visible environmental problems
have been at least partly addressed, persistent problems and new problems affect
the environment's ability to provide the ecosystem services on which humans
and other living organisms depend.
Solving current environmental challenges—for example, nutrient overload
and eutrophication, climate change, increased body burdens of diverse chemi-
cals, and water-quality declines—requires understanding the nature of the prob-
lems and their relationships to other phenomena. In particular, solving environ-
mental challenges requires consideration of root causes and possible unintended
consequences of interventions in domains not normally considered. Developing
a strong understanding of how various key drivers can affect multiple phenom-
ena relies on the expansive application of systems thinking. Identifying viable
and sustainable solutions that will optimize economic, social, and environmental
benefits should have high priority. Ensuring that EPA has the scientific capacity
to promote those solutions requires a science strategy that builds on accom-
plishments but includes innovative and diverse tools.
Current and future environmental challenges also include disasters, which
require EPA to have an ability to respond quickly to address environmental con-
sequences. Those disasters can arise from natural events such as storms, earth-
quakes, and volcanic eruptions; from accidents at major industrial facilities, such
as pipelines, large bulk-storage facilities, mines and wells, and power and
chemical plants; or as the direct or indirect consequence of terrorism events.
EPA is and will continue to be responsible for monitoring and addressing the
environmental changes resulting from disasters (whether natural or human-
caused).
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