The Houston Environmental Foresight Committee has reached the first broad-based, comprehensive regional consensus on the condition of Houston's environment. This consensus took nearly two years to reach and was made possible by the time and patience of Foresight Committee members , members of the Science Panel and its subpanels, and others. The process used by these volunteers is new to the Houston region and is based on an approach developed as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 's efforts to improve environmental policy at the regional, state, and local levels. Foresight is first and foremost a community-based effort which involves active and knowledgeable people who are willing to spend the time necessary to study environmental issues and move toward consensus on these issues. Foresight is now organized in six major groups - the Foresight Committee , the Science Panel , three Science Subpanels and the Board of Selectors .
Foresight is one of several similar programs being conducted nationwide .
Many members of these committees will continue as active participants in Houston Environmental Foresight. With the release of Seeking Environmental Improvement , the Foresight Committee has completed its first goal of identifying and comparing environmental concerns and risks. At its first meeting of 1996, the Foresight Committee prepared to identify and recommend ways to improve the Houston region environment through collaborative solutions. The Houston Environmental Foresight Program was designed by the Houston Advanced Research Center from 1992 to early 1994. Staff with the Center for Global Studies consulted with a political, organizational, agency, and scientific leaders during the planning period to determine the overall project scope.