Why depend on UNIX environment variables?

Previously I have posted about how I find tools that depend on sourcing csh files to get environment variables set a real pain to deal with. Largely because I don't have good ways of automating such procedures, both for use and test. And also because of environment variable interference.

So, I ask myself: Q: why depend on environment variables?

Then I remember how excited I was to learn of shell environment variables.

By setting an environment variable I could arrange for a parameter to be passed from the outside world right into the middle of a tool. Without having to modify any of the interveing levels.

No need to create argument parsing code.

In fact, in Bell Labs type shells,argument parsers are implicitly created for environmrnt variables:

VAR1=val1 VAR2=val2 program options...