environmental policy. origins of modern environmental movement conservationist movement: began in...
TRANSCRIPT
Environmental Policy
Origins of Modern Environmental Movement
Conservationist Movement: began in the Progressive Era and was given national attention during Theodore Roosevelt's presidency
US Forest Service National Parks Newlands Reclamation Act of 1902: promoted
construction of dams to irrigate small farms and placed 230 million acres under federal protection
John Muir and the Sierra Club
Radford University, "Environmental History Timeline." Accessed January 16, 2012. http://www.radford.edu/~wkovarik/envhist/.
Environmental Policy Today
• Rules are often uniform nationallyo ex: limit on auto emissions
• There are many regulations and strict guidelineso In contrast, in Europe, rules are weak and compliance is
voluntary• Often government (pro-environment) vs. Business (anti-
environment)o leads to gridlock
ex: Clean Air Act took 13 years to revise in Congress• Implementation depends heavily on the states
The White House, "Our Environment." Accessed January 16, 2012. http://www.whitehouse.gov/energy/our-environment.
Why is Environmental Policy so controversial?• Every governmental policy creates both winners and losers
o Losers are those who must pay the costs, without getting enough of the benefits
• Many environmental issues are tangled in scientific uncertaintyo ex: greenhouse effect
• Much of environmental policy takes the form of entrepreneurial politicso leads to "good guys" vs. "bad guys" perspective
Wilson, James Q. American Government. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.
Types of Environmental Politics• Entrepreneurial Politics: an unorganized
public is to benefit at the expense of a well organized group• Majoritarian Politics: an unorganized
public is to benefit at its own expense• Interest Group Politics: two organized
groups with a material stake in the outcomefight over who will pay and who will benefit• Client Politics: an organized group gets
a benefit and an unorganized public must pay
Wilson, James Q. American Government. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.
Entrepreneurial Politics and Global Warming
• Global Warming: Earth's temperature rises from trapped gases in the atmosphere
• Predicted resultso floods on coastal areas as the polar ice caps melto more stormso tropical diseases spread to North America
• Activists vs Skeptics o Activists agree with predicted results and argue for acting immediatelyo Skeptics say we should learn more about global warming before taking action
• In reality, skeptics outnumber the activists, but activists have more influence
• Activist groups, such as Greenpeace, obtain success by mobilizing the media and dramatizing the issue, thus convincing congressmen that their political reputations will suffer if they do not vote pro-environmento ex: US signed Kyoto Protocol in 1997, a promise to reduce greenhouse gases to
7% below the 1990 level
Wilson, James Q. American Government. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.
Majoritarian Politics and Auto Pollution• States were required to limit auto pollution to a certain level
o Levels in large cities, such as New York City and Los Angeles, exceeded maximum level.
o Parking bans, gas rationing, and mandatory busing were implemented in those cities
o These efforts failed due to extreme oppositiono Congress and the EPA backed down
• Auto industry and Unions objected to restrictions due to...o Loss of business and jobs
• In general...o Public will comply if costs are hiddeno Public will comply if there are tangible benefits, such as
highways and bridgeso Public will not comply if there are impractical regulations or
extra costs, such as an increased gas tax Wilson, James Q. American Government. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.
Interest Group Politics and Acid Rain• Acid rain
o precipitation that is acidico comes from the burning of fuel containing Sulfuro Effects:
acidification of lakes destruction of forests
• Regional Dispute: Midwestern businesses create acid rain that damages Eastern forests. Who will pay the cost?
• Solutions: burning low-sulfur coal OR installing scrubbers• Congress voted for installing scrubbers because...
o saved jobs of high-sulfur coal miners, which pleased Labor Unionso activist groups preferred scrubberso scrubber manufacturers and the interest groups representing them preferred
scrubbers• Problems
o scrubbers did not work very wello cost government a lot of moneyo failed to address problem of high-sulfur burning plants
• Resulted in stalemate in Congress for 13 years and eventually, compromise Wilson, James Q. American Government. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.
• Farmers vs. Pesticideso Pesticides benefit farmers economicallyo However, since 1972, when Rachel Carson published the
book, Silent Spring, the use of pesticides has been heavily regulated 50,000 pesticides; 5,000 new ones per year testing is expensive and time consuming
o Farmers have achieved success in continuing the use of pesticides Farmers (client group) are well
organized and have strategically placed allies in Congress
Client Politics and Pesticides
Wilson, James Q. American Government. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Created in 1970 in response to the Santa Barbara oil spill• Designed to enforce certain laws governing air, water, and
pesticides• Major Accomplishments
o 1972- banned the use of DDT after the publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring
o 1973- set deadlines for the removal of lead from gasolineo 1975- monitored fuel efficiency in automobileso 1970-1990- reduced air-pollution emissions in the US by 50%
EPA, "Laws and Regulations." Last modified December 23, 2011. Accessed January 16, 2012. http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/.
Clean Air Act• Regulates hazardous air
emissions from stationary and mobile sources
• Authorizes EPA to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public welfare
• Major Accomplishmentso 1975- reduced 90% of
hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
o 1976- reduced 90% of nitrous oxides in the atmosphere
"Summary of the Clean Air Act." United States Environmental Protection Agency. January 14, 2012. http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/caa.html.
Endangered Species Act• Created in 1973• Prohibits buying or selling of plants and animals that
are endangered• Over 600 species are endangered• Corporations seeking to build in areas where an endangered specie
resides must comply with federal regulations• Widely supported by the public
"Summary of the Endangered Species Act." United States Environmental Protection Agency. January 14, 2012. http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/caa.html.
Issues Facing Congress and the President
• What is the problem?o Many environmental policy issues are not as clear-cut as they
seem o Science does not know whether we are experiencing a
dangerous level of global warming or how bad the greenhouse effect is
• What goals do we want to achieve?o We want reasonably clean air and water, but how clean is
reasonably clean?
• How do we want to achieve our goals?o In fact, no one knows exactly the best way to go about
improving the environmentWilson, James Q. American Government. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.
Best Way to Solve the Environmental Problem1. Offsets: If a company creates more pollution in one area by
building a new facility, it must reduce pollution in another area2. Bubble standard: a set amount of air pollution that every factory is
limited to3. Pollution allowances: If a company reduces its emissions by more
than the law requires, the company can expand.
Wilson, James Q. American Government. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.
Works Consulted
EPA, "Laws and Regulations." Last modified December 23, 2011. Accessed January 16, 2012. http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/.
"Summary of the Clean Air Act." United States Environmental Protection Agency. January 14, 2012. http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/caa.html.
"Summary of the Endangered Species Act." United States Environmental Protection Agency. January 14, 2012. http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/caa.html.
The White House, "Our Environment." Accessed January 16, 2012. http://www.whitehouse.gov/energy/our-environment.
Wilson, James Q. American Government. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Radford University, "Environmental History Timeline." Accessed January 16, 2012. http://www.radford.edu/~wkovarik/envhist/.
