A new year is, of course, a time for new beginnings. And this new year, more than most, seems an appropriate time for a fresh new start. Last year is one best seen through the rearview mirror.

All indications are that this year will have ample challenges for environmental managers. A slumping economy has eviscerated the EH&S programs at scores of companies, presumably as cost-cutting measures, leaving fewer survivors to handle a growing workload. The activist community is sharpening its collective swords for a new offensive targeting politicians and companies perceived to be weak on the environment. Pressure is ratcheting up on companies to address global climate change, water scarcity, genetically modified organisms, and many other vexing issues. And the buildup to next November’s Johannes-burg Summit on sustainable development will shine even more light on corporate sustainability practices.

Welcome to 2002.

All of these challenges could pale when compared to the damage to the private sector that could result from the efforts of the current US administration -- often in concert with Congress -- to relax environmental laws and oversight under the cover of war and the in name of homeland security, economic recovery, and "giving business a voice."

Consider a few recent developments and revelations:

The Bush administration plans to give major polluters a variety of exemptions from a Clean Air Act requirement that power plants install updated pollution controls when they renovate.

• It has removed a provision from hard-rock mining regulations that would have given federal land managers leeway to reject proposals for mines that could cause irreparable damage to Western landscapes or water sources.

• It removed hurdles to road building in large backwoods areas of the national forests. Many of these areas, which are not included on the official inventory of roadless areas, provide key habitat for wildlife.

• It backed away from a commitment by the first President Bush not to allow wetland acreage to decline.

• It rescinded rules that aimed to keep businesses that violate environmental and other federal laws from obtaining government contracts.

And then there’s energy. Since September 11, Congress and the administration have recast some of their most controversial energy schemes -- the push for Arctic oil and the hoped-for rejuvenation of the nuclear industry, to name just two -- under the guise of "energy security" in the hopes that they might now pass muster. The lack of resolve to boost vehicle fuel-economy standards and even the bailout of the airline industry -- roughly equal to Amtrak’s budget for 30 years -- have demonstrated the power that industry lobbyists have over sound environmental and economic policy.

To be sure, not every environmental law is worth keeping; some are ripe for change, given their frustratingly narrow focus and Draconian inflexibility. And most activists haven’t shown much passion for working with business and government to craft sensible solutions that permit multiple private uses of land and resources while protecting critical habitat.

But government, with the help of industry, seems to be running roughshod over environmental protection these days. And that’s not just bad for the environment. It’s also bad for business.

Never mind the risk that the current political climate could backfire against business, engendering public outcry for tougher environmental laws and greater business scrutiny while further eroding the trust most citizens already have for companies’ commitments and actions on protecting the environment.

More troubling is the apparent lack of understanding among the national leadership that environmental security is essential to our national interests. Clean air and water and an abundance of natural resources are key to the freedoms Americans cherish and protect. Renewable and distributed energy technologies can shield our interests far greater than any militia can.

In the end, no nation’s economy has flourished for long while its environment -- and the health of its people -- were under attack. It would be a shame if America’s leaders, in their efforts to help business prosper, ultimately undermined our safety, wealth, and health.

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Joel Makower is editor of The Green Business Letter and founder of GreenBiz.com.