Just like the story of the Great Smoky Mountains, meeting the new test of environmental stewardship means finding the best ideas at the grassroots level.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama on America's Great Outdoors Initiative

But critics like the Environmental Working Group say the test that products must pass to receive the "broad spectrum" label is weak.

WSJ: European Sunscreen Roadblock on U.S. Beaches

Scientists at Leeds University had been hoping to test the effectiveness and environmental impact of a new type of potato that was resistant to cyst nematode worms.

ECONOMIST: The shameful destruction of a crop trial

However, according to Dipankar Chakraborti, head of environmental studies at Jadavpur University in Calcutta, said some of the test kits being used are nowhere near sensitive enough to give a reliable answer.

BBC: Bangladesh's arsenic water concern

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's drinking-water regulations require that all samples test negative for E.coli.

CNN: Soda fountains contained fecal bacteria, study found

Environmental group WWF Scotland also welcomed news of the funding package to help develop a test centre.

BBC: Samsung wind turbine test site plans backed by ministers