Environmental Futures Project
In July 2000, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars established the Foresight and Governance Project to facilitate better long-term thinking and planning in the public sector. As part of this broad Wilson Center effort, the Environmental Futures Project was launched in 2002 to provide a special focus on long-range environmental issues with potential impacts in the 5-20 year time horizon.
The project has three goals:
-	Identify emerging scientific, technological, and social issues that could have significant impacts on environmental protection and policy over the next two decades
-	Facilitate a broad discussion of these issues among representatives from government, industry, academia, NGO's, and the interested public
-	Provide for a wide dissemination of findings through publications and the web
Presently, work focuses on three areas: genomics, nanotechnology, and ecological thresholds. In addition, we hold regular meetings and seminars designed to improve the capacity for environmental foresight within the government. Work is supported through a cooperative agreement with the Office of Research and Development at EPA. Partners in this project include RAND and the Institute for Alternative Futures.