Loading
Making Sense of the US Environmental Policy
The environment is of enormous concern to all those in the US and around the globe. The current climatic changes, such as increased flooding and droughts, the prospect of rising sea levels and the dramatic change already noticed in animal behavior only reinforce the importance of becoming responsible stewards of the environment and finding more environmentally friendly solutions to common problems. The US environmental policy was designed to help do just that. What is the US environmental policy?
This enormous law contains all the various regulations that govern federal construction programs, federal government buildings and renewable energy programs. It also enforces strict legal sanctions against manufacturers and producers that do not institute and adhere to strict environmental practices. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is responsible for policing companies and government installations all around the nation. As such, the EPA has become one of the most important entities in the US.
As with all US laws, the public has a large role in the US environmental policy. While citizens cannot vote on the law, itself, the elected representatives (government figures) are responsible for interpreting this law, enacting new legislation to help ensure proper protection of the natural world and much more. In addition, citizens can affect the US environmental policy by voicing their concerns about areas with insufficient protection, submitting comments about the effectiveness of the EPA and other related agencies, speaking out at NEPA hearings and meetings and by generally providing feedback about areas of concern.
Critics around the world state that the US environmental policy is too lenient on manufacturers, that it does not do enough to protect the environment. Much of this comes from the fact that the US environmental policy does not adhere to the Kyoto Accords, which many other nations around the world have signed and now follow. However, due to the complexities of the Kyoto Accords, it is currently infeasible for the US to enact such legislation. Of course, plans are now in the works to enact parts of the agreements, reducing the carbon footprint of the nation as a whole.
Not surprisingly, China is emerging as a larger environmental concern than the US. According to industry experts, China's pollution will reach critical levels in the very near future and will surpass the emissions of the US long before that. Of course, the world continues to look to the US environmental policy for guidance, as an example of what they, themselves, should enact, so more stringent requirements should be adhered to regardless of the lack of action on the part of other nations.