A 1992 study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that by nearly every economic indicator, states with strong environmental policies consistently outperformed those with weak policies.  For each state, MIT measured gross state product, total employment, construction employment, and labor productivity.  Across the board, researchers found that policies promoting environmental quality do not hinder economic growth and development.  In fact, they often enhance it.

       A study by Bank of America in 1993 showed that over the last 15 years, states with strong environmental standards experienced an average economic growth rate of 2.60 percent per year, states with moderate standards 2.29 percent, and states with weak standards 2.15 percent.

       A third study in 1994 by the Institute for Southern Studies in Durham, North Carolina, concluded that "The states that do the most to protect their natural resources also wind up with the stongest economies and the best jobs."  Nearly all the states that ranked among the top dozen in environmental well-being also ranked highest in economic criteria.  By the same token, states judged weakest on environmental standards were the worst economic performers.

-- Balancing Nature and Commerce in Gateway Communities by Jim Howe/ Ed McMahon/ Luther Propst

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