Mike Leavitt on
Environmental Stewardship
The Enlibra Principles
Administrator Mike Leavitt's vision for sound management of our natural
assets is articulated in the Enlibra Doctrine, an approach to environmental
stewardship co-authored by Leavitt and former Governor John Kitzhaber
of Oregon. Enlibra, from the Latin, means "move toward balance."
Enlibra is based on the dual concepts of balance and stewardship, and
is built upon principles of flexibility, innovation, partnership and
collaboration. The philosophy emphasizes collaboration instead of polarization,
national standards and neighborhood solutions, markets instead of mandates,
solutions that transcend political boundaries, and other common sense
ideas that will accelerate environmental progress.
Enlibra Principles
National Standards, Neighborhood Solutions - Assign responsibilities
at the right level
In many instances, it is entirely appropriate for the federal
government to establish national environmental standards. However, states,
tribes and local governments should have the flexibility to develop their
own plans to achieve the national standards, and to provide accountability.
Plans that consider localized ecological, economic, social and political
factors often enjoy more public support and involvement and therefore
can reach national standards more efficiently and effectively. Governments
at all levels should reward innovation and support empowerment for any
entity that can meet or exceed standards and goals through local or regional
plans.
Collaboration, Not Polarization - Use collaborative
processes to break down barriers and find solutions
Environmental issues tend to be highly polarizing, leading
to destructive battles that don't further environmental goals. Goals are
best accomplished through balanced, open and inclusive approaches at the
ground level, where stakeholders work together to formulate critical issue
statements and develop solutions. Collaborative approaches often result
in greater satisfaction with outcomes and broader public support at less
cost, and better long-term stakeholder involvement. Public and private
interests may need to provide resources to ensure these local collaborative
processes are transparent, have broad participation and are supported
with good technical information.
Reward Results, Not Programs - Move to a performance-based,
instead of process-based, system
A clean and safe environment will best be achieved when
government actions are focused on outcomes, not programs and processes,
and when innovative approaches to achieving desired outcomes are rewarded.
Federal, state and local policies should encourage "outside the box"
thinking in the development of strategies to achieve desired outcomes.
Solving problems, rather than just complying with programs, should be
rewarded.
Science For Facts, Process for Priorities - Separate
subjective choices from objective data gathering
Environmental science is complex and uncertainties often
exist. Competing interests usually point to data supporting their view
and ignore or attack conflicting or insufficient information. This results
in polarized positions, interferes with reconciling the problems, and
may leave stakeholders in denial. Public confidence declines and the stridency
of debate increases. A much better approach is to reach agreement on the
underlying facts as well as the range of uncertainty surrounding the issue
before framing the choices. A public, balanced and inclusive collaborative
process should be used, with a range of respected scientists and peer-reviewed
science. If agreement on scientific facts cannot be reached, decision-makers
must evaluate the differing information and make the difficult policy
choices.
Markets Before Mandates - Pursue economic incentives
whenever appropriate
While most individuals, businesses, and institutions want
to achieve desired environmental outcomes at the lowest cost to society,
many environmental programs include mandates enforced through the threat
of legal action, fines and other penalties. While the end result may be
environmental protection, this approach is not always efficient or cost-
effective. By contrast, market-based approaches and economic incentives
often result in more efficiency at less cost, and may lead to less resistance
and more rapid compliance. These win-win approaches reward environmental
performance, promote economic health, encourage innovation and increase
trust among all stakeholders.
Change a Heart, Change a Nation - Environmental
education and understanding are crucial
Governments at all levels can develop policies, programs
and procedures to protect the environment. But the success of these policies
ultimately depends on the daily choices of citizens. Beginning with the
nation's youth, people need to understand their relationship with the
environment. They need to understand the importance of sustaining and
enhancing the natural world for themselves and future generations. If
we are able to make environmental progress, it will be because citizens
understand that a healthy environment is critical to the social and economic
health of the nation. Government has a role in educating people about
stewardship of natural resources.
Recognition of Benefits and Costs - Make sure
all decisions affecting infrastructure, development and environment are
fully informed
Environmental decisions should be guided by an assessment
of the true costs and true benefits of different options, including life-cycle
costs. These assessments can illustrate advantages of various methods
of achieving common public goals. However, not all benefits and costs
are measured in dollars. Non-economic factors, such as equity within and
across generations, should also be fully considered in every assessment.
Options should consider all social, legal, economic and political factors,
while ensuring that neither quantitative nor qualitative factors dominate.
Solutions Transcend Political Boundaries - Use
appropriate geographic boundaries to resolve problems
Many environmental challenges fall within natural geographic
locations, but most cross political and agency boundaries. Focusing on
the natural boundaries of the problem helps identify the appropriate science,
possible markets, cross-border issues, and the full range of affected
interests and governments that should participate and facilitate solutions.
Voluntary interstate strategies as well as other partnerships are important
tools as well.
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