National Institue for something or other

[Michael Gochfeld]

The original concept was for a National Institute for Ecology and it was 
making good progress in the early 1990's.  Two things happened that 
seemed to have soured the deal.  The conservative congress elected in 
1994, and the pre-emption of "Ecology" by environmental science.  The 
concern is that what would have been a funding agency for real ecology 
will now be "subverted" is the term some would use, to more air and 
water pollution research.  These are important, but are currently the 
domain of EPA which generally has has negligible enthusiasm for 
supporting real ecology.  The best it has done is to foster 'ecological 
risk assessment', which gives ecosystems a certain legal standing.
			
I still support the concept of an NIE if it really advances the study 
and status of ecology. 

M. Gochfeld