Program on the Environment

Consumption is broadly defined as anything people buy and use. The Environmental Protection Agency is one of many institutions trying to identify its role in addressing consumption as it affects the environment. As an independent researcher, my team and developed criteria for evaluating scholarly and popular sources for inclusion in a resource clearinghouse for consumption workgroup members. We then applied these criteria to sources as we performed a literature review. We used the information we collected to make recommendations for creating and streamlining effective actions and policies. As researchers, we helped take the first steps towards identifying the sources of information that may inform, direct, and shape policy as it relates to consumption.