Environmental Policy

1. Environmental Policy By: Pamela Barcelona Rhea Prabhu Kanak Parmar Jasmine Ong Zhi Hao Li Sukhdeep Singh

2. American Context Aim: To understand Environmental Policy in the American Context Opener: Do you Believe that the American Government is doing enough to protect our environment? If yes, explain. If not, what more should they do?

3. Truth or Myth All paper should be recycled. >>You can actually do some damage if you throw just everything into the recycling bin. Enter the pizza box, used paper plates, and napkins. As the old adage goes, water and oil don’t mix. And as the such, recycling such items (whole recycling process includes heat to break down paper with water) would cause 700 million dollars in contamination each year. Organic food is always better for the environment. >>An organic banana from Chile that had to travel 5,000 miles to reach your table in NY is not better than a conventional banana grown at a farm 5 miles from your home. Clean coal is a reality, or at least a possibility. >>There are no commercial ‘clean coal’ plants operating currently in the US. It is as ridiculous as the oxymoron: “controlled chaos.”

4. Myth of Truth City dwellers produce on average, less carbon dioxide from fossil fuels then do suburban or rural residents. >>Individuals living in the suburbs or rural areas use their vehicles or outdoor equipments more. It’s hotter than it’s ever been. >>As of August 2010, it was the hottest year the world has witnessed since record keeping began 130 years ago. >>The temperature increases 0-2 degrees Celsius or 0-36 degrees Fahrenheit per decade since 1980.

5. How does the Environmental Policy Differ Among Nations? America Europe Environmental Policy making in the US is more adversarial >>In this country there have been many bitter and lasting conflicts over the Clean Air Act (1963) Why? – Government and business leaders frequently clashed and denounced each other for being unreasonable or insensitive.  As a result, it took 13 years (1997-1990) to agree on a Congressional revision of the Clean Air Act In England (for example) rules are designed to reduce air pollution were written by the government and business leaders cooperatively . Rules are neither rigid nor nationally uniform: they are flexible and allow plenty of exceptions to deal with local variations in business needs.

6. How does the Environmental Policy Differ Among Nations? America Europe 2. Rules are rigid and uniform. >>EX. Minimum auto emission standards are uniform across the nation, regardless of local conditions Leads to clashes between government and businesses. What is done in terms of environmental policy is heavily dependent on states. (Though there are uniform national air quality standards, how those standards are achieved is left up to individual states/federal courts. >>This reinforces adversarial politics since cities and states fight over what standards to apply where. 3. Compliance with the rules depends mostly on voluntary action, not formal enforcement. >>Lawsuits are rare >>Government and business official rarely battle each other. 4. Centralized, parliament form of government, which unlike federalist government of America, gives loss leverage to opponent of a policy.

7. Different Types of Politics Involved in Environmental Policies Entrepreneurial politics: many people hope to benefit from rules that impose costs on fees firms. Majoritarian politics: many people hope to benefit but many will also have to pay the cost. (policies intended to reduce air pollution caused by automobiles…will affect anyone who owns a car). Interest group politics: regions hurt by acid rain(mainly in NE) argue with regions that produce a lot of acid rain (Midwest) about who should pay. Client politics: When farmers manage to minimize federal controls over the use of pesticides. >>Farmers are keenly aware of the economic benefits of pesticides and are well organized to defend them.

8. SURVEY http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/ Questions: How many Earths did you take up? Why might this be a problem? What are some ways to lower your impact on the Earth?

9. Acid Rain and Pollution From Automobiles Aim: How Has the government taken action to control acid rain and pollution from automobiles? Opener: Do you think Regulation of Air Pollution is Possible? If not, what are the complications?

10. Acid Rain Acid rain: acid snow, rain or dust particles that precipitate One source of acid precipitation is burning fuel, like coal, that contain a lot of sulfur. It is known that steel mills and electric power plants that burn high-sulfur coal are concentrated in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions. Winds carry sulfurous fumes eastward. However, there is controversy surrounding how lakes and rivers in eastern United States have become acidic. Some acidity is a result of naturally occurring acids in soils and rainfall and some is the result of acid rain from industrial smokestacks. Because there is no way to determine how much is main-made or natural, this proves to be a driving factor for future conflicts between interest groups.

12. Conflict Between Interest Groups • Residents of Canada and New England complained of the loss of forests and the acidification of lakes and blamed it on the Midwestern smokestacks. The Midwestern business, labor unions and politicians denied the claim and argued that even if they are at fault, they should not be forced to pay for the cleanup. • 1977- There was an attempt to solve the problem by issuing two alternatives. • 1- require power plants to burn low-sulfur coal, but it would cost money because low-sulfur coal is mined mostly in the West (hundreds of miles away from the Midwestern industries). • 2- require power plants to install scrubbers-devices that remove sulfurous fumes from gas before it comes out of smokestacks. -->>expensive, didn’t always work, but allowed for continuation of their practice. • Congress voted for the requirement of scrubbers, but problems still persisted

13. Stalemate • There was a political stalemate in Congress for 13 years. • President Bush the Elder proposed a 2 step regulation. • 111 power plants were required to reduce their emission of sulfur with whatever method they chose. • With a deadline in 2000, there was a sharper emission reduction requirement, probably requiring the use of scrubbers. • This compromise became part of the Clean Air Act of 1990

14. Results Interest groups have progressively become more involved and have made changing existing laws more difficult (ex. Industries, public interest groups, and labor unions) Political momentum usually remains with “policy entrepreneurs”. Environmentalism is seen as good politics, meaning members of Congress don’t want to be caught voting on the “wrong” side of an environmental bill.

15. Majoritarian Politics: Pollution from Automobiles Air pollutions is a major problem in many cities; >> cause of smog.

16. The Clean Air Act of 1970 proposes to decrease major pollutants from automobiles (Hydrocarbons, Carbon monoxide, and nitrous oxides) by 90% by 1975 and 1976. The Act led to uses of catalytic converters that transform the pollutants into harmless gases With increasing automobiles, the act also suggested the regulation of transportation. But was met with opposition; people would disconnect the converters or complain about the higher cost. Solutions to Air Pollution

17. Modifications to Act Provisions were added to the 1970 law that required states to develop land use and transportation restrictions such as bans on parking, mandatory uses of buses and even gas rationing >>Was met with great opposition >>Deadlines postponed >> Effort to limit where people can drive abandoned Clean Air Act of 1977: Amended the goals of CAA of 1970 and extended the deadline for another six years Clean Air Act of 1990: Requires a reduction of 10 million tons of sulfur dioxide by 1996. Big sources of sulfur dioxide, such as huge factories, must acquire government allowances that set emission limits. Deadlines extended again for twenty years for cities with worse smog situations eg. Los Angeles.

18. Majoritarian Politics When People Believe the Costs Are

19. Articles http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/03/science/earth/03air.html1. Why did Obama choose to reject the proposed rule? What was the response that followed? What does this say about the importance of environmental policies to politicians?2. While weighing the pros and cons of the proposed rule, what is your personal stance on Obama’s decision to reject it?http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/02/science/earth/02emit.html1. What is the general outline of the new rules? How will it cut back emissions?2. What are the advantages of the new regulations? Why might some be against the new regulations?

20. Global Warming AIM: what were the events that organized the environmental movement and its internal conflicts? Opener: based on your previous knowledge and even your own opinions, do you think global warming is a myth or an occurring phenomenon?

21. Beginning Awareness • Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970, after an offshore well spewed close to 100,00 barrels of oil onto the beaches of Santa Barbara. • Consequently, in 1970 Nixon created the Environmental Protection Act: - most significant effect was to set up procedural requirements for all federal government agencies to prepare environmental assessments and environmental impact statements - Congress strengthened Clean Air Act and passed the Water Quality Improvement Act • 1972: Congress passed more laws to clean up water. • 1973: Congress adopted the Endangered Species Act.

22. Global Warming Theory • Global warming: gases produced by people when they burn fossil fuels (wood, oil, coal) get trapped in the atmosphere and cause the Earth’s temperature to rise  floods on coastal areas because of melting polar ice caps, wilder weather, spread of tropical diseases to North America. • http://video.pbs.org/video/2274347514 - video on polar bear’s melting habitat

23. Most scientists agree that the Earth is getting warmer BUT… http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/09/why-the-global-warming-crowd-oversells-its-message.html

24. Political Action • In 1997 the UN signed the Kyoto Protocol, which pledged to lower greenhouse gases emissions by 7% below 1990 levels. - So, by the end of last year (2012), there should have been a 30% reduction below the levels that would have occurred • Because of large cuts from the American economy, firms are worried about the effects of the protocol. • President Bush opposed the treaty and in 2002, he proposed alternative policies.

25. Activists vs. Conservatives Environmental activists raise money by using scary statements that show the harm global warming will cause Conservatives raise money by using scary statements that show the economic downfall America will face as a result of greenhouse gas reduction * Media plays a role in blowing out of proportion the issue of global warming: statistics are sometimes biased and TVads promoting a better environment are lucrative

26. Homework Read: http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php Research: Pro and cons of the Kyoto Protocol

27. Environmental Uncertainties Aim: Why is it so difficult to make an environmental policy? Opener: What are some policies that the government should enact to combat today’s environmental problems?

28. Making Environmental Policies To establish a specific environmental policy, we must first deduce: 1. What is the problem? 2. What are the goals that should be achieved? 3. How can the goals proposed be achieved?

29. Uncertainties • Problems cannot be easily identified • Science cannot measure how severe global warming is • Some pesticides that causes cancer in animals may not affect people • There are some skeptics (Individuals believe that Global Warming is a myth and therefore should be treated as such) EX. Nonpoint Pollution >> generally results from land runoff, precipitation, atmospheric deposition, drainage, seepage or hydrologic modification. As the runoff moves, it picks up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants, finally depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and ground waters. >> As it comes from a variety of sources, it is hard to determine a single underlying cause.

30. Priorities When bigger, more important problems arise, the previous and less important (environmental policies) are neglected. EX: When toxic chemicals were found at the Love Canal and Virginia Beach, put other, less dramatic, but often more important problems on the back burner. Why is this an issue? >> Often the “less important matters” are crises though small, are yet to be thoroughly investigated. As a result, when they are tossed aside, they take with them information that is yet to be discovered. In missing out on this information, we deprive ourselves of possibly important realizations. >> Small things add up.

31. Environmental Policy- A Tricky Business

32. Unrealistic goals >> Everyone wants a healthy environment, but people don’t distinguish between realistic and unrealistic threats or between reasonable and unreasonable costs. As a result, people applaud dramatic governmental steps without asking whether they would actually benefit anyone. EX: The government has mandated that all asbestos must be removed from public school buildings. Thought intense exposure to asbestos can cause health problems, removing all the asbestos from old school buildings helps almost no one and may hurt the asbestos removers. < cancer scare> Solution: Government officials should keep policies aimed at real risks- they do exist!- and not be diverted by popular concerns over unreal ones. In a free society however, this is not easy.

33. How do we solve our environmental goals? Unsuccessful Successful • Command & Control • Command and Control was used to improve the air and water quality using pollution standards and rules. • The government wanted to ‘command’ or set emission levels to reduce pollution and ‘control’ this by regulating pollution policies • It was too costly to enforce so incentives were devised to replace various regulations during the Carter Administration. • Incentives • Offset: when a company wants to open a new plant, it must offset or counteract its pollution by reducing the pollution of another source, like a different company. • Bubble standard: the total amount of air pollution that can come from a given factory. • Pollution allowance or banks: If a company reduces the pollution it emits by more than the law requires, these companies can then use the excess to cover future plant expansions or sell it to another company as an offset.

35. When a company reduces its polluting emissions by more than the law requires and uses the excess amounts for future plant expansions, it is called, An offset Command-and-control strategy Bubble standard Pollution allowance 2. Offsets, bubble standards, and pollution allowances are: Pollution control devices that reduce air contamination. EPA incentives for companies to reduce pollution. Rules made by the EPA under command-and-control strategy to improve air and water quality. Standards made to control the hazardous nuclear waste 3. The EPA was instructed by Congress to eliminate pollutants _______ by 1985. In the air From automobiles From factories Entering our water

36. 4. The EPA was given the responsibility to make certain laws that govern: Air Water Pesticides All of the above 5. Entrepreneurial politics is a term that refers to: An unorganized public benefits at the expense of a well-organized group. An organized public benefits at its own expense. An organized group benefits at the expense of an unorganized public. An organized group benefits at the expense of a well-organized public. 6. A provision of the Clean Air Act of 1970 mandated cities where smog was a problem to impose rules the restrict the public’s use of cars. Why did this provision fail? The EPA used command-and-control The provision was unconstitutional. Public opposition was too great. Legislators wanted to strengthen the Act since there were no immediate results.

37. 7. Which is incorrect about the Kyoto Protocol of 1997? 5% of greenhouse gases would be reduced worldwide. President Clinton never pushed strongly for its ratification. President Bush completely disregarded it. None of the above. The EPA began to change from a Command-and-Control strategy to regulating businesses during the which administration? Nixon Ford Carter Clinton 9. What is true about US Environmental Policies? a. Rules are not uniform b. Business leaders and the government cooperatively work together to reduce air pollution. c. Government and business leaders frequently clash and denounce each other for being unreasonable or insensitive. d. Lawsuits are rare 10. Which type of politics involved in environmental policies deal with people hoping to benefit the environment but may have the pay the cost. a. Entrepreneurial b. Majoritarian c. Interest group d. Client