1996 Electronics Industry Environmental Roadmap - Civil and ...

Information and Knowledge Systems
best suited to their individual mode of content assimilation. Just as there is no “magic” user
interface, neither is there a “magic” method of data presentation suitable to all users. The
intelligent assistance tools must take into account the cognitive needs of each user.
Through the application of objective analysis, based upon reliable data drawn from a wide range
of industry sources, environmental decision-makers can apply judgment in a more informed and
rational way. Best practices, benchmarks, opportunities for competitive differentiation,
opportunities for strategic alliances, and priorities for research and development are just a few of
the decisions that become richer when supported by a broad base of information.
The ultimate objective is informed decision-making—with decisions being as timely as possible,
based upon sound technical data, reflecting current information about regulatory considerations,
and based on sound cost and performance data.
3.4 Building an Electronics Industry Environmental Information Infrastructure
If the infrastructure is put in place, will there be data available? Despite the shortcomings
described earlier, there is a significant base of environmental data that is available. Many federal
organizations, state and local agencies, numerous non-profits, and many private corporations are
now actively engaged in producing or gathering environmental data.
A great deal of information is readily available on the World Wide Web (WWW or Web). Of all
the changes that have occurred since the environmental roadmapping effort first began, none has
been more pervasive than the emergence of the Internet as the basic element of the national information
infrastructure. The Internet has evolved into a ubiquitous global network, or perhaps
more correctly, an interoperable web of public and private networks. The capability of the
Internet to serve as a linkage mechanism for information dissemination and retrieval is
unarguable, particularly with the growing resources of the Web.
In the area of environmental information, the Web is filled with a wide range of options.
Appendix E identifies notable sources of information on the Web and available through other
sources. Universities, government agencies, environmental technology suppliers, and others
have well-established sites on the Web offering a variety of technical, policy, advocacy-oriented,
and other general information. The EPA, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the World Bank,
the International Trade Commission, and many other agencies offer significant amounts of data
over the Web, and the federal government has established electronic information dissemination
as a priority. Consider a few examples of the data available via the Internet and the Web:
U.S. EPA, Toxic Release Inventory (TRI): The Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) database
has become a primary source of practical, usable information and data concerning
individual manufacturing company performance with respect to pollution prevention and
waste minimization activities in the U.S. The required reporting of toxic chemicals in
general use in manufacturing by route of release/transfer for all but very small companies
has resulted in a rich source of annual performance data since 1987. The data become
available in May/ June of the second year following the reporting year (e.g., data for 1993
became available in May/June, 1995). Data are initially available on the TOXNET on-
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