Environmental Policy

Environmental Policy has become highly contentious and political, with competing interests involved at any legislation over the environment.

Learning Objective

Describe the key conflict in environmental policy

Key Points

The environment covers so many different aspects of life from health and recreation to business and commerce that that there are always competing interests involved an any legislation over the environment.
Many individuals and organizations are involved as stakeholders in the process of making and implementing environmental policy.
One of the enduring conflicts in environmental policy is between environmental and business interests. There is often a sense that the regulations or limitations made for environmental protection will limit economic growth.
However, some groups are attempting to incorporate concern for the environment with business and innovation.
U.S. environmental policy is always international policy as well. For example, when the U.S. pulled out of its obligations under the Kyoto Accord there was a great deal of international criticism.

Terms

Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC) that set binding obligations on the industrialized countries to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases.
environmental policy
any course of action deliberately taken or not taken to manage human activities with a view to prevent, reduce, or mitigate harmful effects on nature and natural resources

Full Text

Environmental Policy

Environmental policy in the U.S. has become highly contentious, competitive, and political. The environment covers so many different aspects of life from health and recreation to business and commerce that there are always competing interests involved at any legislation focused on the environment.

Additionally, many individuals and organizations are involved as stakeholders in the process of making and implementing environmental policy. These include various members of the executive and legislative branches of government, state and municipal governments, as well as civil servants, external interests groups, and international governments and residents. Within the Federal government alone there are the Environmental Protections Agency , the Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agency.

Environmental Protection Agency

The EPA is just one of the various bureaus involved in U.S. environmental policy.

Various legislation governs environmental concerns in the U.S., including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which was first introduced in 1970. This act mandates the preparation of Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements to try and limit the environmental damage of development.

One of the enduring conflicts in environmental policy is between environmental and business interests. There is often a sense that the regulations or limitations made for environmental protection will limit economic growth. However, some groups are attempting to incorporate concerns for the environment, with business and innovation. For example, the Bright Green environmental movement focuses on developing technological fixes for environmental problems. The Green Jobs movement focuses on combining needed new employment opportunities in low-income neighborhoods and neighborhoods of color with environment improvements in those same neighborhoods.

Finally, because the U.S. has to share the Earth with all of the other countries, U.S. environmental policy is always international policy as well. For example, when the U.S. pulled out of its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol there was a great deal of international criticism.

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