Commentary: Intelligent Consumption: the key to a sustainable future for the Earth

As Dovetail wraps-up the Consuming Responsibly series, a time of reflection is encouraged to examine our role in purchasing and landuse decisions that have the potential to adversely impact our environment. Nearly 20 years ago, many of these same concepts were addressed in the Report of the Intelligent Consumption Project (ICP) that outlined a framework to encourage and provide necessary information and incentives to make informed consumer choices. The effort was led by the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters and the USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory. Dr. Jim Bowyer, Dovetail Associate and Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering; and Douglas MacCleery, retired Assistant Director of Forest Management for the U.S. Forest Service in Washington, D.C. This commentary is their reflection on the continued relevance of that work.