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 Environmental
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updated August 28, 2002
Early in 2002, the Vanderbilt Center for Environmental Management Studies (VCEMS) began a project to identify some of the key environmental and natural resource issues facing Tennessee in the coming decade. During February and March 2002, VCEMS conducted a series of targeted interviews and literature reviews. This process has culminated in three “white papers” that are attached to this document. Throughout this project, VCEMS has endeavored to act as an objective and neutral observer divorced from any advocacy positions. This project was produced with support from the Vanderbilt Institute for Environmental Risk and Resources Management and the Tennessee Conservation League. The overview paper and the three white papers are all available for download in pdf format. You will need Adobe Acrobat to read these documents.
Goal of the Project
Methodology In the second phase of this project, we narrowed down this list of issues to three topics that we would research in more detail. In determining which issues to focus our attention on, we developed a list of selection criteria, shown in Table 1 (below). We ultimately chose to analyze the following issues:
These are illustrative of the types of issues the State faces and highlight the complexity of the solutions that the State might ultimately adopt. Once we identified the three topics, we conducted more in-depth interviews with interested stakeholder groups around the State. Overall, we conducted more than 50 interviews in addition to a literature review.
It is important to note that while the papers focus on three important issues, they are not necessarily the most important environmental concerns facing Tennessee. To identify and prioritize issues in this manner would require a significant research effort beyond the scope of this project. Findings
The findings of the second phase of the project indicate that these issues are complex, controversial, and will likely require new and creative solutions. Because the solutions are often not as “simple” as requiring “more regulation,” dealing with these issues requires vision, research, and planning. They also require careful research into the costs and benefits of alternative solutions. The solutions are likely to require a very significant amount of cooperation and coordination among different agencies - including those agencies responsible environmental protection, land management, transportation, and economic development. They will also require new partnerships both with the private sector and other levels of government - including county and local authorities. In some cases, they might require new approaches altogether, such as the use of economic incentives or non-regulatory solutions. In a word, some of the best solutions will require “innovation.” Closing Thoughts Identification of complex, long-term issues often leads to calls for “more study.” Addressing these issues will clearly require careful research and analysis. While additional research can shed light on the costs and benefits of potential solutions, however, some actions might need to begin immediately. For example, once large parcels of land become available on the market and are sold and divided for various development projects, the State loses the opportunity to convert these lands to public use or to dedicate them for conservation purposes. At a time when the State of Tennessee is facing a budget crisis and issues of taxes versus spending are frequently in the headlines, concern for the environment and natural resources of Tennessee can easily get sidelined. This is all the more so given the complex, long-term, “non-crisis” nature of these issues. Yet, there is clear evidence that the public places a high priority on preserving a clean and healthy environment. Thus, one of the biggest challenges facing the State’s leaders is providing the leadership and vision necessary to focus the State’s attention on these important issues that might easily take a back seat to more high-profile concerns. In reflecting upon what we have learned from this exercise, we note that one potential way to begin solving some of these problems is to learn from the private sector’s recent success with formal environmental management systems. By instituting a systematic and comprehensive approach to measuring and assessing the environmental footprint of their productive operations, many companies have found that they can both save money and reduce their impact on the environment. One of the biggest lessons that companies have learned from these exercises is that ‘what gets measured gets reduced.’ Oftentimes there are environmental benefits to be gained merely from the fact that things have been done a certain way for years without the benefit of foresight given today’s environmental realities. The State of Tennessee should consider adopting similar internal management systems to assess both the environmental health of the State and the governmental systems in place to protect the environment. About the Project Team Primary Author: VCEMS Researchers: Reviewers:
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