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This paper presents a framework for understanding and improving public sector environmental decision making. Within the framework, four interrelated components are discussed: (1) the environmental and cultural context-understanding this context includes understanding what people consider to be environmental problems, the goals and values that they bring to environmental problems and decision processes, specialized and common knowledge about environmental problems, and the institutional settings within which problems are addressed; (2) planning and appraisal activitiesthese activities include forecasting and monitoring exercises, evaluations of past decisions, and decisions that processes ought to be launched to solve specific environmental problems; (3) decision-making modes-these include six typical ways of conducting an environmental problem-solving process, modes which, in the framework, are called emergency action, routine procedures, analysis-centred, elite corps, conflict management and collaborative learning; (4) decision actions-these include five generic steps that are undertaken, formally or intuitively, in virtually any decision-making situation: issue familiarization; criteria setting; option construction; option assessment; and reaching a decision. In the course of describing the framework, we show a decision-making process can be adapted to incorporate sustainability concerns, including fostering sustainable environmental and social systems, meeting obligations to future generations, and searching for robust and reasonable (rather than rigidly optimal) decisions. The framework also helps to illuminate intriguing questions regarding institutional responsibility, decision process complexity and paradigms for environmental decision making.

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This article presents the results of a web survey of 118 residents in the Knoxville, Tennessee, metropolitan region to explore the impacts of the use of e-mail and the Internet on personal trip-making behavior. Respondents were required to be active drivers and users of e-mail and/or the Internet. Approximately 40% reported that their use of these information technologies has led to less driving overall, and 18% reported less rush hour driving. Although use of the Internet has led to both trip reduction and new trip generation, overall, weekly trips appear to be reduced by 8% from the national average of almost 28 person trips per week in 2001. The number of places respondents have access to e-mail and the Internet is highly related to trip reduction and new trip generation. Education and income were positively related to new trip generation.

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