Politics,%20Environment,%20and%20Sustainability

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Chapter 25

• Politics, Environment, and Sustainability

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Chapter Overview Questions

• What is the environmental policy cycle?
• How is environmental policy made?
• What is the role of environmental law in dealing
  with environmental problems?
• What are the major types and roles of
  environmental groups and their opponents?
• What types of global environmental policies and
  treaties exist, and how might they be improved?

3
Updates Online

• The latest references for topics covered in this
  section can be found at the book companion
  website. Log in to the books e-resources page at
  www.thomsonedu.com to access InfoTrac articles.
• InfoTrac Home on the (artillery) range. Kevin
  Krajick. OnEarth, Summer 2006 v28 i2 p6(2).
• InfoTrac Fowl runoff spurs fierce poultry fight.
  Chicago Tribune, June 13, 2006.
• InfoTrac The catch what happens when industry
  insiders write their own regulations? Michael W.
  Robbins. Mother Jones, March-April 2006 v31 i2
  p49(6).
• Convention on Biological Diversity
• Environmental Literacy Council U.S. Endangered
  Species Act

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Core Case Study Rescuing a River

• In the 1960s, the Nashua River was considered one
  of the nations filthiest rivers.
• Marrion Stoddart (left) used politics to help
  clean-up the river.

Figure 25-1
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ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

• Developing environmental policy involves
  identifying a problem and its causes, coming up
  with a solution, implementing the solution, and
  monitoring and adapting the solution as needed.

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Recognition Identify the problem.
Formulation Look for solutions.
Implementation Implement solutions.
Control Things are improving.
Nonpoint-source water pollution
Global warming
Acid deposition
Outdoor air pollution
Urban sprawl
Ozone depletion
Indoor air pollution
Sewage treatment
Nuclear wastes
Municipal solid waste
Reuse
Biodiversity protection
Drinking water treatment
Mining wastes
Protecting endangered species
Pollution prevention
Groundwater contamination
Point-source water pollution
Toxic wastes
Environmentally harmful subsidies
Pest control
Resource productivity
Recycling
Soil erosion
Market prices do not include environmentally
harmful costs
Some infectious diseases
Aquifer depletion
Environmental justice
Sustainable economic development
Need for integrated environmental management
Fig. 25-2, p. 593
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Stepped Art
Fig. 25-2, p. 593
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DEALING WITH ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN
DEMOCRACIES SOME DIFFICULTIES

• Democracies have difficulty dealing with
  long-term, interrelated environmental problems.
• In passing laws, developing budgets, and
  formulating regulations, elected and appointed
  officials must deal with pressures from.

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Principles for Making Environmental Policy
Decisions Some Guidelines

• Existing or proposed environmental policies
  should be guided by several principles
• The humanity principle.
• The reversibility principle.
• The precautionary principle.
• The polluter pays principle.
• The integrative principle.
• The public participation principle.
• The human rights principle.
• The environmental justice principle.

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What Can You Do?
Influencing Environmental Policy
Become environmentally literate on issues
Run for office (especially at local level)
Make your views known at public hearings
Make your views known to elected representatives
Contribute money and time to candidates for
office
Vote
Form or join nongovernment organizations (NGOs)
seeking change
Support reform of election campaign financing
to increase the influence of ordinary citizens on
government policy
Fig. 25-4, p. 595
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Principles for Making Environmental Policy
Decisions Some Guidelines

• Most improvements in environmental quality result
  from citizens putting pressure on elected
  officials and individuals developing innovative
  solutions to environmental problems.
• Each of us can play a leadership role in
  establishing and changing environmental policy.

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ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY IN THE UNITED STATES

• Formulating, legislating, and executing
  environmental policy in the U.S. is a complex,
  difficult, and controversial process.
• Lobbying consists individuals or groups use
  public pressure, personal contacts, and political
  action to persuade legislators to vote in their
  favor.
• Most environmental bills are evaluate by as many
  as ten committees in the U.S. House of
  representatives and Senate.

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Lobbyists
Lobbyists
Lawmaking body
Public hearing
Special-interest groups
Regulating enforcement body
Public advisory
Laws and regulations
Legal action
Legal action
Lawyers
Lawyers
Environmental organizations
Courts
Corporations and small business
Laws and regulations
Membership support
Boycotts
Individual
Fig. 25-6, p. 598
Purchase recyclable, recycled,
environmentally safe products
Recycle cans, bottles, paper, plastic
Plant a garden
Donate clothes used goods to charities
Use water, energy, other Resources efficiently
Use mass transit, walk, ride a bike, or carpool
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President
Council on Environmental Quality
White House Office
Office of Management and Budget
Environmental policy Agency coordination
Environmental impact statements
Overall policy Agency coordination
Budget Agency coordination and management
Dept of Health Human Services
Environmental Protection Agency
Department of the Interior
Department of Agriculture
Department of Justice
Department of Defense
Health
Air water pollution Noise Pesticides
Solid waste Radiation Toxic substances
Civil works construction Dredge fill
permits Pollution control from defense
facilities
Endangered species Energy Minerals
National parks Public lands Fish and
wildlife Water development
Soil conservation Forestry
Environmental litigation
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Department of Commerce
Department of Transportation
Department of State
Department of Labor
Oceanic and atmospheric monitoring and research
Occupational health
Airplane noise Mass transit Oil pollution
Roads
Licensing and regulation of nuclear power
International environment
Housing Urban parks Urban planning
Tennessee Valley Authority
Department of Energy
Energy policy Petroleum allocation
Electric power generation
Fig. 25-5, p. 597
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How a Bill Becomes a Law

• Individual citizens and lobbyists can influence
  how the bill is written before it is introduced
  and through subsequent stages.

Figure 25-7
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How a Bill Becomes a Law
House of Representatives
Senate
Referral to Standing Committee by leadership and
parliamentarian
Introduction of Bill by Member We will assume
this is an appropriations bill, so the
Constitution specifies that it be introduced in
the House.
Committee Action Possible referral to
subcommittee Alternatives similar to those of
the House
Referral to Standing Committee by leadership and
parliamentarian
Calendar placement
Committee Action Possible referral to
subcommittee Hearings on major bills common
Committee decisions Table, Defeat, Accept and
report, Amend and report, Rewrite
Senate Floor Action Alternatives similar to
those of the House include rejection, acceptance,
or additional amendments
Conference Committee If the Senate approves a
bill that is not identical to the one passed in
the House, a conference committee is requested.
This committee consists of appointed members from
both houses who compromise on a final version of
the bill. This compromise version is then sent to
each house for final approval.
Calendar Placement
Rules Committee (major bills) Hearings to decide
whether bill will go to the floor earlier than
calendar date.
Back to the Senate Floor Bill is signed by
Speaker and Vice-President.
House Floor Action Reading, general debate
Second reading Amendment(s) report to the
House Third reading Passage or defeat
President Approve Veto Pocket veto
Permit bill to become law without his or her
signature
Law
Fig. 25-7, p. 599
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Major Environmental Laws in the U.S.

• Many of these laws have been amended (weakened or
  strengthened) since 1969.

Figure 25-8
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Case Study Managing Public Lands in the U.S.
Politics in Action

• Since the 1800s, controversy has swirled around
  how publicly owned lands in the U.S., which
  contain valuable resources, should be used and
  managed.

Figure 25-4
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How Would You Vote?

• To conduct an instant in-class survey using a
  classroom response system, access JoinIn Clicker
  Content from the PowerLecture main menu for
  Living in the Environment.
• Should much more of U.S. public lands (or
  government-owned lands in the country where you
  live) be opened up to the extraction of timber,
  mineral, and energy resources?
• a. Yes. Current technologies allow the needed
  resources to be recovered without significant
  environmental damage.
• b. No. For the sake of wildlife, future
  generations and the environment, some areas
  should remain indefinitely pristine.

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• Lands managed by the U.S. federal government.
• U.S. citizens jointly own these and other public
  lands.

Figure 25-9
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ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND LAWS

• The body of environmental laws is constantly
  evolving through legislation and lawsuits. It
  includes
• Statutory laws passed by legislative bodies.
• Administrative laws consist of rules and
  regulations, executive orders, and enforcement
  decisions.
• Common law A body of unwritten rules derived
  from past legal decisions.

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Lawsuits Loaded Dice

• Environmental lawsuits are expensive and
  difficult to win because
• Plaintiff must establish they have the legal
  right to bring the suit to a particular court.
• Too expensive for most individuals.
• Public interest law firms many times cannot
  recover legal fees.
• Plaintiff must establish that they were harmed.
• Statutes of limitations.

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Major Types of Environmental Laws in the U.S.

• U.S. environmental laws set pollution standards,
  screen for toxic substances, evaluate
  environmental impacts, encourage resource
  conservation, and protect various ecosystems and
  species from harm.

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Major Types of Environmental Laws in the U.S.

• The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
  requires evaluation of the environmental impact
  of an activity proposed by a federal agency.
• An environmental impact statement (EIS) must be
  developed for every major federal project likely
  to have an important effect on environmental
  quality.

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ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS AND THEIR OPPONENTS

• Environmental groups monitor environmental
  activities, work to pass and strengthen
  environmental laws, and work with corporations to
  find solutions to environmental problems.
• Non-government agencies (NGOs) range from
  grassroots groups to global organizations.
• NGOs help expose corruption and violation of
  national and international agreements.

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ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS AND THEIR OPPONENTS

• Some grassroots NGOs use nonviolent and
  nondestructive tactics of protest and
  demonstrations for generating publicity to help
  educate and sway members of the public.

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How Would You Vote?

• To conduct an instant in-class survey using a
  classroom response system, access JoinIn Clicker
  Content from the PowerLecture main menu for
  Living in the Environment.
• Do you support the use of nonviolent and
  nondestructive civil disobedience tactics by
  environmental groups and individuals?
• a. No. People who commit civil disobedience are
  criminals and their crimes could easily escalate
  into violence and vandalism.
• b. Yes. Sometimes peaceful civil disobedience is
  the only way to bring about necessary changes.

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ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS AND THEIR OPPONENTS

• Many student environmental groups work to bring
  about environmental improvements in their schools
  and local communities.
• Environmental audits by students reveal that most
  college campuses are major polluters.
• A Yale University study revealed that the school
  emits more greenhouse gases than 32 developing
  countries.

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Case Study Threats to the U.S. Environmental
Legal and Regulatory Structure Environmental
Backlash

• Three major groups are strongly opposed to many
  environmental laws, regulations and proposals
• Some corporate leaders who see environmental laws
  as threats to their wealth and power.
• Citizens who see environmental laws as threats to
  their private property rights and jobs.
• State and local government officials who resent
  having to implement federal environmental laws
  with little to no funding.

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

• Many analysts believe that environmental security
  is as important as military and economic
  security.
• Some developing nations view the concept of
  environmental security as an agenda for rich
  countries to continue their control of the
  worlds natural resources.

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How Would You Vote?

• To conduct an instant in-class survey using a
  classroom response system, access JoinIn Clicker
  Content from the PowerLecture main menu for
  Living in the Environment.
• Is environmental security just as important as
  economic and military security?
• a. No. Terrorism, unemployment, hunger, and
  inflation are more urgent threats to most
  nations.
• b. Yes. Environmental quality strongly influences
  the economies and security of most nations.

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Trade-Offs
Global Efforts on Environmental Problems
Good News
Bad News
Environmental protection agencies in 115 nations
Most international environmental treaties lack
criteria for monitoring and evaluating their
effectiveness
Over 500 international environmental treaties and
agreements
1992 Rio Earth Summit led to nonbinding
agreements without enough funding to implement
them
UN Environment Programme (UNEP) created in 1972
to negotiate and monitor international
environmental treaties
By 2003 there was little improvement in the major
environmental problems discussed at the 1992 Rio
summit
1992 Rio Earth Summit adopted key principles for
dealing with global environmental problems
2002 Johannesburg Earth Summit failed to provide
adequate goals, deadlines, and funding for
dealing with global environmental problems such
as climate change, biodiversity loss, and poverty
2002 Johannesburg Earth Summit attempted to
implement policies and goals of 1992 Rio summit
and find ways to reduce poverty
Fig. 25-10, p. 611
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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

• International environmental organizations
• Expand understanding of environmental issues.
• Gather and evaluate environmental data.
• Help develop and monitor environmental treaties.
• Provide funds and loans for sustainable economic
  development.
• Help nations develop environmental laws and
  institutions.

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Solutions
International Environmental Treaties
Problems
Solutions
Take a long time to develop and are weakened by
requiring full consensus
Do not require full consensus among regulating
parties
Establish procedures for monitoring and
enforcement
Poorly monitored and enforced
Lack of funding for monitoring and enforcement
Increase funding for monitoring and enforcement
Treaties are not integrated with one another
Harmonize or integrate existing agreements
Fig. 25-11, p. 611
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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

• Earth summits and international environmental
  treaties play important roles in dealing with
  global environmental problems, but most are not
  effectively monitored or enforced.
• Making the shift to a more equitable and
  environmentally secure and sustainable global
  society is an economic, political, and ethical
  decision.