Preface

     Today, the knowledge base on which environmental decisions are being made is broader and deeper than ever before. Information technology has introduced new opportunities for harnessing such knowledge to improve environmental performance. That, in part, is the subject of this volume of papers. The book also speculates about the potential contribution of information technology to sustainable development.

     Few will argue that increased knowledge will play an essential role in meeting humanity's environmental challenges. Yet, much of the quest for the knowledge that is needed falls into the category of several "public goods" challenges that no single company can justify undertaking alone and which can have a dramatic payoff if companies can share costs and responsibilities or if the government were to step up to the plate and fill the void. The challenges range from articulating technical and management standards that reflect best strategic environmental approaches and defining criteria for determining environmental impacts and metrics of environmental performance, to the potential use and misuse of environmental information. In each of these areas, there are important roles for government, trade associations, industry, universities and environmental public interest groups (preferably working collaboratively).

     This volume originated from a July 1997 workshop conducted in partnership with the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment. Both the publication and the meeting are components of the NAE's program on Technology and Sustainable Development. We are indebted to the authors for their excellent contributions, to Robert M. White for his review of those contributions, and to an editorial team composed of Penny Gibbs, Greg Pearson, Long Nguyen, Deanna J. Richards, and Karla J. Weeks. Special thanks also go to Brad Allenby and Dale Compton for their efforts in chairing the workshop and for their contributions to the overview and perspectives in this volume.