Daniel Imhoff, Esprit International, Written Testimony, 11/18/93 Companies which take the initiative and go through costly and time consuming steps to create environmentally responsible goods should be rewarded. A system of subsidies, tax incentives or possibly public funds could be set up to encourage behavior which helps conserve or restore the environment. In addition, the government could lobby for special tariff treatment for environmentally responsible goods, in order to make them competitive in foreign markets. This would reward innovative firms in the short run and promote domestic competition in markets in which these goods are successful. For example, although public interest in Ecollection products is very high in countries like Australia and Sweden, duty rates make the cost of those goods exorbitant. Public education is yet another area where the govemment can have a powerful impact on encouraging this type of corporate behavior. People must become aware of the environmental impacts of consumer goods. Perhaps one day, content labels will be required of all goods- not only food items. More importantly, basic ecology courses must become a basic part of our education, not only for product designers, but for all American citizens. The govemment, as a consumer of goods and services could also take a leading role in the consumption of these new environmentally responsible products. Long term goals might include treeless paper, fuel efficient automobiles, electronic mail systems, etc. Esprit offers this Committee its full cooperation in bringing together members of the textile industry to bring about positive changes that will orient us toward more sustainable manufacturing practices for the future. ESPRIT ECOLLECTION OBJECTIVES Maximize Product Life Use durable construction. Make Wise Use of Natural Resources Minimize Waste Reduce water and energy consumption. Reduce toxic dyestuffs in the effluent. Avoid synthetic dyes with heavy metal content. Minimize Load on Landfills Use recycled and biodegradable materials. Eliminate Harmful Processes on Fabric and Hardware Avoid electroplated finishes on metals. Use non-rusting alloys. Use mechanical finishes. (Sandblasting on metal/compacting in fabric) 75-093 - 9411 Support Sustainable Agriculture and Farming Use organically grown cotton/wool/linen. Support transitional programs converted to a recognized certification program. Support Endangered Areas and Cultures and Use co-ops for handcrafted items. Set-up "Trade not Aid" programs and training. Support Proactive Businesses That: Educate The Customer Develop unique in-store presence/ communication. Promote the process/concept as much as the product. Influence The Industry Incorporate ecological criteria into purchasing criteria. Support and host industry conferences on ecological approaches to business. Testimony of David H. Marks James Mason Crafts Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering To the US House of Representatives The Environmental Technologies Act of 1993 10:30 am to 12:30 PM November 18, 1993 I am pleased to have this opportunity to address the Subcommittee on the National Initiatives in Green Technologies-Legislative Proposals. At MIT, I am an educator of two different types of students: Those who are preparing for careers as environmental professionals and those whose professional decisions in technology, management and policy will have a great impact on the environment. We have done a good job of educating the former (about 5% of MIT students) for over 100 years. We are just now learning and experimenting with new curricula, subjects, modules, internships in industry and new methods of analysis to educate the other 95%. This is a critical transition as future sustainable development will depend on the knowledge, experiences, methods and attitudes of all our graduates. It is important that the educational portion of the proposed legislation learn from some of the difficulties introduced in this transition such as disciplinary boundary barriers, the lack of critical interdisciplinary research and the lack of awareness of the need for students to understand the social, economic and political context of their technologic and scientific studies. I would like to respond to the questions put to me by the Subcommittee as follows: 1) How is MIT attempting to educate its scientists and engineers generally about integrating environmental sustainability into their analysis? The important prerequisite was to form an interdisciplinary faculty group interested in integration and development in this area. The purpose of such a group is to insure cooperation across disciplinary boundaries. PEEER (the MIT Program for Environmental Engineering Education and Research) is a "virtual" program. Faculty from different disciplines belong voluntarily drawn by the intellectual challenge and their desires to improve our performance in this area. Together they have helped to build exciting new programs such as: a. Programs for Environmental Professionals A new undergraduate degree program in Environmental Engineering Science administered by Civil and Environmental Engineering announces the start of a whole new discipline. The program presently has about 5% of MIT's undergraduates enrolled. The provision of six subject Minor Programs in Environmental Engineering Science for Students in other Engineering, Science, Planning, Management and Humanities students. Preeminent Professional and Research Oriented Graduate Programs in every aspect of Environmental Engineering Science. b. Programs for Other Professionals to help them increase their knowledge of how decisions about material selection, technologic process, product use and design and recycling impact sustainable development New undergraduate and graduate literacy subjects that require few prerequisites have been established. An example has been an award winning series in Chemicals in the |