Environmental Policy

Environmental Policy Overall Very hectic and varied opinions Activist scientists vs skeptic scientists Clean Air Act passed in 1963 and revised in 1970, 1977 and > created to control air pollution and requires EPA to enforce laws that will protect the public from contaminants that are hazardous to human health People show little interest in the environment. For example, great opposition to Endangered Species Act of 1973 and of states trying to implement car pools 1

Why Acid Rain Is the Most Pressing Issue All issues are pressing: Lack of clarity = hard for Congress to fix the problems ->Cannot come to a consensus over an act, so problems go unsolved However, acid rain has been the source of the most problems: Incorporates most environmental problems into one ->Acidification of lakes = Danger to species Destruction of forests = Species lose habitats Possibility that acid rain taints the soils used to grow crops Visibility is lessened by air particles Materials and resources- dry depositation causes damage HUMAN HEALTH- chemicals can enter the system through various manners (airborne, in fish that are consumed, metals seeping into pipes) 1, 2

Causes of Acid Rain Burning of fuel that is sulfuric "Some of the sulfur (along with nitrogen) will turn into sulfuric (or nitric) acid as it comes to earth" Steel mills and electric power plans with high sulfur coal are mostly in the Midwest and Great Lake regions of the U.S. Winds carry the fumes eastward, causing acid rain all over the U.S. Controversial to solve this because these are sources of energy 1

Possible Solutions and Compromises Solution/Compromise: Pros and Cons: Burn low-sulfur coal - Very expensive - Low-sulfur coal is in West - Electric powerplants are in MidWest -> Costly to manufacture low-sulfur Install smokestack scrubbers - Allow use of inexpensive high-sulfur ->devices that would take coal sulfurous fumes out of - Scrubbers are costly and not always the gas before it leaves effective the smokestack 1,3

Congress Takes Action Congress voted for scrubbers Protected jobs of high sulfur coal miners, environmentalists preferred it because "far preferable to relying on incentives to induce power plants to buy low sulfur coal." Eastern governors liked it because putting scrubbers in Midwestern factories is costly, so factories in their states would not close down and move to the West

Disadvantages of Solutions Scrubbers did not work well 13-year stalemate in Congress because of opposition between interest groups ->when there was a solution it was only a compromise President Bush proposed a two- step regulation: Before fixed amount of reduction in sulfur emissions that powerplants were required to meet some power plants could choose their approach After 1995: sharper emission reductions for more plants required some use of scrubbers 1

What Should Be Done? What We Can Do Conserve energy Car pool What Congress Can Do Solar power Wind power Burn low-sulfur coal 3

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Bibliography 1.Wilson, James Q. American Government. Edited by Jean L. Woy. Charles Hartford, Campbell, Neil A. and Reece, Jane B. "Campbell Biology Sixth Edition." Illinois: Pearson Education Inc "Acid Rain." New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Accessed January 14, ny.gov/chemical/8418.html.