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SUSTAINABLE AMERICA: A NEW CONSENSUS FOR PROSPERITY, OPPORTUNITY, AND A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR THE FUTURE

In June 1993 President Clinton created the President's Council on Sustainable Development and asked the members to find ways "to bring people together to meet the needs of the present without jeopardizing the future." The Council has given much thought to the future and to the consequences of the choices this generation makes on the lives of future generations. This report begins with the Council's definition of sustainable development and its vision statement, followed by a listing of the fundamental beliefs that Council members share and that provide the foundation for its recommendations. The Council concluded that in order to meet the needs of the present while ensuring that future generations have the same opportunities, the United States must change by moving from conflict to collaboration and adopting stewardship and individual responsibility as tenets by which to live, then expressed in concrete terms the policy recommendations found in the seven chapters of this report. Chapter 1, National Goals toward Sustainable Development, presents the set of goals developed by the Council, along with suggested indicators that can be used to help measure progress toward achieving them. Chapter 2, Building a New Framework for a New Century, calls for broadening U.S. commitment to environmental protection to embrace the essential components of sustainable development: environmental health, economic prosperity, and social equity and well-being. Chapter 3, Information and Education, recognizes the tremendous potential of information and education for increasing citizen awareness and ability to engage in decisions affecting their lives. In Chapter 4, Strengthening Communities, steps toward a more sustainable future are examined. These include developing community-driven strategic planning and collaborative regional planning; improving community and building design; decreasing sprawl; and creating strong, diversified local economies while increasing jobs and other economic opportunities. Chapter 5, Natural Resources Stewardship, points to stewardship as an essential concept that helps to define appropriate human interaction with the natural world. Chapter 6, U.S. Population and Sustainability, sees a sustainable United States as one where all Americans have access to family planning and reproductive health services, women enjoy increased opportunities for education and employment, and responsible immigration policies are fairly implemented and enforced. Chapter 7, International Leadership, states that, because of its history and power, the United States is inevitably a leader and needs to be an active participant in cooperative international efforts to encourage democracy, support scientific research, and enhance economic development that preserves the environment and protects human health. Appendix A contains the Endnotes, Appendix B lists the examples of sustainable development in action cited in the text, Appendix C is a list of figures found in the text, and Appendix D contains Council member profiles.

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  • Corporate Authors:

    President's Council on Sustainable Development

    730 Jackson Place, NW
    Washington, DC  United States  20503
  • Publication Date: 1996-2

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos;
  • Pagination: 198 p.

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00732409
  • Record Type: Publication
  • ISBN: 0160485290
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Feb 18 1997 12:00AM