EHP and colleagues in other programs in the Lowell Center launched the Toward Tomorrow initiative in 2004 on the premise that we are at a unique moment in time to think about and take action to preserve the future of our species, and the living planet on which we depend. The decade of the 1970s, during which public concern for flagrant environmental threats catalyzed the passage of many of the environmental laws that now guide public and private sector decisions, was another such time. Today, the strength of scientific evidence on links between the environment and health, along with the groundswell of public concern about climate change, have the potential to result in very significant changes in public policy and in individual and corporate behavior. At the same time, without substantial and out-of-the-box realigning of interests, the status quo of advocacy organizations focused on single issues sparring with corporate lobbyists will continue, with grave consequences for our future.
The purpose of Toward Tomorrow is to stimulate out-of-the-box discussion and action among people and organizations to shape a future in which human activity enhances rather than degrades the health and well-being of people and ecosystems. We aim to catalyze bold initiatives by environmental and health organizations, businesses, as well as others not traditionally associated with these issues, towards the economic, social and physical well-being of future generations. We seek to help shift the debate about links between environment and health from a focus on which materials and substances cause which problems, to a discussion about what kind of world we want to live in and how we get there.
Current activities of Toward Tomorrow are:
- Capturing the insights and vision of leaders on health and environment issues, and motivating a new generation of leaders to articulate their ideas for the future. This activity has generated oral histories which will be compiled in a book, and essays from young leaders.
- Assessing and promoting strategies used in other countries and at the state level to make major strides towards sustainability.
- Promoting Generational Goals, a concept and process used in Europe to accelerate progress towards sustainability. In 2007/2008, Toward Tomorrow facilitated a conversation among 100 people affiliated with a range of organizations to generate visions about the future one generation from now, set goals to be accomplished by then, and choose priority actions to lead us there. A Common Agenda for Health and Environment reflects this work. Read more about the Common Agenda.
