Borrowed Earth, Borrowed Time: Healing America's Chemical Wounds

The author, director of international affairs at the National Academy of Sciences, served with the Environmental Protection Agency as a front-line adviser at Three Mile Island (Pa.), Love Canal (N.Y.) and Times Beach (Mo.). Here, Schweitzer reviews efforts from 1973 to 1990 to control hazardous chemicals, paying special attention to protecting human health. He discusses risk assessment, economic interests, fragmented policies and goals, and points out that the extent of toxic chemicals in the environment remains unknown. Critical of the EPA's adversarial legal processes, Schweitzer believes that industry should be at the center of solving the pollution problem and should be rewarded for efforts in that direction. He also censures the ``timidity'' of this and past administrations in taking steps to reduce carbon dioxide. Schweitzer calls for the U.S. to set an example in energy conservation and pollution control, offering practical suggestions for consumers and producers. This is a thoughtful survey of work accomplished and goals yet to be met. (May)