A new generation of environmental assessment and forecasting tools has begun to emerge, replacing the sensational Malthusian gloom-and-doom reports of the 1970s that were mostly proven wrong. Panelists at this event will examine several of these efforts, including the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, the Pilot Environmental Performance Index, the State of the Nation's Ecosystems report, and the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) project to develop environmental indicators. Panelists will also discuss how environmental assessment can be integrated in the policymaking process.

Participating in this panel discussion are Daniel Esty of Yale University, Robin O’Malley of the Heinz Center, and AEI’s F. K. Weyerhaeuser Fellow Steven F. Hayward, principal author of the PRI(Pacific Research Institute)/AEI Index of Leading Environmental Indicators, which features an analysis of recent trends and developments in the environmental studies.