By Heidi Slinkard Brasher
Following a $700,000 study by the National Academies of Science commissioned by the EPA in 2011, the agency has determined the way of the future is to focus on “sustainable development” — thereby expanding its control over U.S. industry.
The study, “Sustainability and the U.S. EPA,” is referred to as the “Green Book” and is seen by some as the agency’s effort to become an ever-powerful force by asserting that its mission encompasses an anticipatory approach to environmental issues. By shifting its mission unilaterally and without legislative authorization to include social and economic issues, the EPA will focus on sustainability impact statements - instead of environmental impact statements - which will focus on probable effects of the social, economic and environmental segments of “sustainability.” Many believe this move greatly expands the agency’s reach by further focusing on “clean” energy, “environmentally sustainable” communities and economic development, and climate change “controls.”
