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Design for environment: A new framework for strategic decisions
Author(s) -
Ehrenfeld John R.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
environmental quality management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.249
H-Index - 27
eISSN - 1520-6483
pISSN - 1088-1913
DOI - 10.1002/tqem.3310040406
Subject(s) - business , control (management) , environmental planning , design for the environment , environmental economics , environmental resource management , relation (database) , risk analysis (engineering) , environmental science , computer science , economics , database , product (mathematics) , geometry , mathematics , artificial intelligence , product design
For most of its history of environmental protection, U.S. policy has concentrated on a pollution control strategy based on single medium emissions: air, water, or land. Efforts to mitigate environmental impacts to one medium often resulted in greater impacts to others. While much environmental improvement has occurred via this system over the last quarter‐century, it is generally recognized that alternative strategies which address environmental impacts across all media in an integrated manner will be necessary for continued improvement. Increasingly, regulatory strategies that result in only passive compliance will be insufficient to meet these demands. This article demonstrates why new strategies which encourage proactive behavior are necessary. A new framework for making strategic decisions—design for environment—concerning the relation between our actions and environment is necessary to ensure a sustainable future.