Sustainable economic growth and environmental conservation

Abstract

The Mission Statement of Environmental Practice declares that the National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) is committed to sustaining and nurturing a dialogue regarding significant environmental issues. A dialogue, by its very nature, is a conversation between two or more parties, directed toward exploration of a particular subject or resolution of a problem. The concept of dialogue implies a willingness to listen and collaborate. It is not possible to overstate the importance of environmental professionals engaging in the national dialogue regarding the economic and environmental wellbeing, not only of citizens of the United States, but of the global population. This dialogue requires the ability to actively listen and truly hear the needs and wants of resource-dependent sectors of the global economy, and to suspend judgment. Similarly, it requires an understanding of the historical perspective and the ability to share fact-based information that speaks to our common ground.