Politics, Environment, and Sustainability

Transcription

1 LIVING IN THE ENVIRONMENT, 18e G. TYLER MILLER SCOTT E. SPOOLMAN 24 Politics, Environment, and Sustainability

2 Core Case Study: The Greening of American Campuses Environmental awareness movement on college campuses Provide students with a basic education in environmental sustainability What are some examples of campus greening?

3 Fig. 24-1, p. 658

4 24-1 How Can Government Help With The Transition To More Sustainable Societies? Through its policies, a government can help to: Protect environmental and public interests Encourage more environmentally sustainable economic development

5 Government Can Serve Environmental and Other Public Interests There needs to be a balance between government intervention and free enterprise Government is the best mechanism to deal with: Full-cost pricing Market failures The tragedy of the commons

6 Government Can Serve Environmental and Other Public Interests (cont d.) Policies Set of laws and regulations Environmental policy Policy life cycle four stages Recognition Formulation Implementation Control

7 Problem recognition Evaluation Research Policy adjustment Policy formulation Monitoring Budgeting Policy implementation Fig. 24-2, p. 660

8 Democracy Does Not Always Allow for Quick Solutions Democracy United States is a constitutional democracy Three branches of government Legislative Executive Judicial

9 Democracy Does Not Always Allow for Quick Solutions (cont d.) Special-interest groups pressure the government Profit-making organizations Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) Politicians focus on problems with shortterm effects

10 Certain Principles Can Guide Us in Making Environmental Policy The humility principle How our actions affect nature The reversibility principle Avoid decisions that cannot be reversed The net energy principle Avoid low net energy yields The precautionary principle Take precautionary measures

11 Certain Principles Can Guide Us in Making Environmental Policy (cont d.) The prevention principle Help prevent problems from occurring The polluter-pays principle Taxes, etc. The environmental justice principle No people should bear unfair burden

12 24-2 How Is Environmental Policy Made? Policy making involves enacting laws, funding programs, writing rules, and enforcing those rules with government oversight a complex process that is affected at each stage by political processes Individuals can work together to become part of political processes that influence how environmental policies are made and whether or not they succeed

13 How Democratic Government Works: The U.S. Model Three branches Legislative branch Executive branch Judicial branch Develop and implement policy Laws, regulation, and funding Lobbying

14 Legislative branch Laws Executive branch Courts Lobbyists Lobbyists Regulators Public hearing Civil suits Environmental organizations Corporations and small businesses Membership support Individuals Patronize or boycott Fig. 24-4, p. 662

15 Developing Environmental Policy Is a Controversial Process Funding needed Regulations and rules needed to implement the law Environmental regulatory agencies play an important role Regulated businesses try to have their members appointed to regulatory agency

16 Individuals Can Influence Environmental Policy Individuals matter 2007 Chinese citizens opposed construction of a chemical plant Mobile phone text messaging spread the word At a fundamental level, all politics is local

17 Fig. 24-5, p. 663

18 Environmental Leaders Can Make a Big Difference Lead by example Work within existing economic and political systems Run for local office Propose and work for better solutions to environmental problems

19 24-3 How Can Environmental Law Help In Dealing with Environmental Problems? We can use environmental laws and regulations to: Help control pollution Set safety standards Encourage resource conservation Protect species and ecosystems

20 Environmental Law Forms the Basis for Environmental Policy Environmental law Body of laws and treaties that broadly define what is acceptable environmental behavior Most environmental lawsuits are civil suits Injunction court hearing Class action suit civil suit filed by group Negligence damage caused by deliberately acting unreasonably

21 Environmental Lawsuits Are Difficult to Win Legal standing Has the plaintiff suffered health or financial problems? Very expensive Public interest law firms Cannot recover attorney s fees Plaintiffs must establish that harm has been done

22 Environmental Lawsuits Are Difficult to Win (cont d.) Statutes of limitation Limit length of time a plaintiff can sue Appeals years to settle Strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) What are potential major reforms?

23 Case Study: U.S. Environmental Laws Types of legislation Set standards for pollution levels Screen new substances for safety Encourage resource conservation Protect spaces and ecosystems Require evaluation of activity proposed by federal agency Environmental impact statement

24 Fig. 24-8, p. 668

25 Case Study: U.S. Environmental Laws (cont d.) Have been highly effective Especially in pollution control Since 1980, well-organized forces against existing environmental laws Environmentalists primarily bring bad news to the public

26 24-4 What Are the Major Roles of Environmental Groups? Grassroots groups are growing and combining their efforts with those of large environmental organizations in a global sustainability movement

27 Citizen Environmental Groups Play Important Roles Nonprofit nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working at all levels International, national, state, and local Small grassroots groups to world-wide organizations Global public policy networks Focus on particular environmental problems Shifting resources to publicizing innovation

28 Case Study: The Natural Resources Defense Council NRDC Goes to court to stop environmentally harmful practices Informs and organizes millions of environmental activists to take actions to protect the environment Website, magazines, and newspapers

29 Case Study: The Natural Resources Defense Council (cont d.) BioGems Network Informs subscribers of environmental threats 2005 blocked the EPA from finalizing blending proposal for untreated sewage 2001 protect vast area of Great Bear Rainforest from logging

30 Fig , p. 672

31 Grassroots Environmental Groups Bring about Change from the Bottom Up Global sustainability movement Citizen-based Conservation land trusts Property owners agree to protect land from development and harmful activities Nonviolent, nondestructive tactics

32 Case Study: The Environmental Transformation of Chattanooga, TN In the 1960s one of the dirtiest cities in the U.S Vision 2000 process Build consensus of what the city should be The city: Encouraged zero-emission industries Renovated low-income housing Launched an innovative recycling program

33 Students and Educational Institutions Can Play Important Environmental Roles Student pressure on campuses to carry out environmental audits Gather data on practices that affect the environment Propose changes What are some examples of student groups and what they can accomplish?

34 24-5 How Can We Improve Global Environmental Security? Environmental security is necessary for economic security and is at least as important as national security

35 Why Is Global Environmental Security Important? Countries are legitimately concerned with national security and economic security All economies supported by natural capital Failing states rooted in ecological crisis Darfur, Sudan, Africa

36 We Can Develop Stronger International Environmental Policies United Nations most influential Family of global policy-making organizations Other influential groups The World Bank, etc. U.N. Conference of Environment and Development Agenda 21 Rio+20 Earth Summit Conference in 2012

37 Trade-Offs Global Efforts to Solve Environmental Problems Successes Over 500 international environmental treaties and agreements 1992 Copenhagen Ozone Protocol has helped reduce ozone-depleting chemicals 1992 Rio Earth Summit adopted principles for handling global environmental problems 2012 Rio+20 Earth Summit included small-scale policy improvements Failures Most international environmental treaties lack criteria for evaluating their effectiveness 1992 Rio Earth Summit led to nonbinding agreements, inadequate funding, and limited improvements 2012 Rio+20 Earth Summit failed to deal with climate change, energy policy, and biodiversity loss Climate change conferences have all failed to deal with projected climate change Fig , p. 676

38 Corporations Can Play a Key Role in Environmental Sustainability Corporations have the profits to provide funding Eco-efficiency Finding ways to create economic value with less harmful impacts Nature Conservancy program Help companies include monetary value of natural capital in goals and strategies

39 24-6 How Can We Implement More Just Environmental Policies? Making the transition to more sustainable societies will require that nations and groups within nations cooperate and make the political commitment to achieve this transition

40 We Can Shift to More Environmentally Sustainable Societies Emphasize preventing or minimizing environmental problems Use market-place solutions Win-win solutions or trade-offs to environmental problems or injustices Be honest and objective Making this shift involves: Economic, political, and ethical decisions

41 Three Big Ideas An important outcome of the political process is environmental policy The body of laws, regulations, and programs that are designed, implemented, funded, and enforced by one or more government agencies All politics is local Individuals can work with each other to become part of political processes that influence environmental policies

42 Three Big Ideas (cont d.) Environmental security is necessary for economic security and is at least as important as national security Making the transition to more environmentally sustainable societies will require that nations cooperate just as they do for national security purposes

43 Tying It All Together: Greening College Campuses and Sustainability It is possible to create sustainable environmental policies National and international policymakers should: Try for win-win solutions Make each decision with future generations in mind