Founded at the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 1991, the Environmental Institute of Houston was created to address real and potential issues of environmental concern, such as loss of biodiversity, health risks from pollution, failure of food supplies, and depletion of natural resources. With the University of Houston as its partner, EIH is a service and research operation with a broad scope of environmental activity. It is literally a global solutions laboratory because of the diversity of the Houston region. A microcosm of global issues, the Houston area contains ecologically sensitive bays, marshes, forests, and wildlife. Its urban population density yields heavy non-print source pollution, and the Texas Gulf Coast is the largest petrochemical complex in the world.

EIH receives funding from the Texas Legislature. Research and outreach projects are supported by state appropriations, grants from agencies, and donations from corporations, foundations, and individuals.

The mission of EIH is to help people in the Houston region participate more effectively in environmental improvement. Information and technology will be obtained and disseminated from research supported by EIH in critical areas including pollution prevention, natural resource conservation, public policy, and societal issues. EIH will seek to expand balanced environmental education based on objective scholarship to empower the entire community to make sound decisions on environmental issues.
April 15, 1998