1. Environmental Laws, Economics, and Ethics
Chapter 2
Environmental Laws, Economics, and Ethics

2. Environmental History of U.S.
1600
1700
1800
1900
Dominated by the frontier attitude

3. Environmental History of U.S.
What is the “Frontier Attitude”?
A desire to conquer and exploit nature as quickly as possible
At this rate, an area the size of Europe could be deforested in 40yrs!

4. Environmental History of U.S.
1750
1800
1900
John James Audubon
Henry David Thoreau
George Perkins Marsh
Period: 19th Century
Some conservationists were influential in raising environmental concerns later in this period.

5. George Perkins Marsh
Influenced Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot (first head of the U.S. Forest Service).
Utilitarian Conservation
They values natural resources because of their usefulness for practical purposes but uses them sensibly

6. Environmental History of U.S.
1st National Park: Yellowstone
1850
Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks
1900
1950
General Revision Act
Several presidents, particularly Theodore Roosevelt, used this Act to establish 43 million acres of forest reserves.
General Revision Act (1891)
Gave the president the authority to establish forest reserves on public (federally owned) land.

7. Environmental History of U.S.
1850
1900
1950
Different worldviews
Theodore Roosevelt - utilitarian
John Muir - preservationist

8. Worldviews Utilitarian Conservationist Biocentric Preservationist
A person who values natural resources because of there usefulness for practical purposes but uses them sensibly
Biocentric Preservationist
A person who believes in protecting nature because all forms of life deserve respect and consideration

9. Environmental History of U.S.
Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac published posthumously
Franklin Roosevelt establishes CCC and SCS
1900
1950
2000
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
Established by president Franklin Roosevelt employed more than 175,000 men to plant trees, make paths and roads in national parks and forest, build dams to control flooding and perform other activities to protect natural resource. He also formed the Soil Conservation Service (SCS)

10. Environmental History of U.S.
Rachel Carson published Silent Spring
1900
1950
2000

11. Silent Springs
Heightened public awareness and concern about the dangers of uncontrolled uses of DDT and other pesticides.
Led to restrictions on use of certain pesticides.
Rachel Carson

12. Environmental History of U.S.
1900
Paul Ehrlich published The Population Bomb
Wilderness Act of 1964, spurred on by Wallace Stegner
1950
First Earth Day (1970)
2000
Earth Day 1970
Organized by Denis Hayes.20 Mil people in the US planted trees, cleaned roads and riverbanks, marched in parades. Awakened US environmental consciousness to pop. Growth, pollution, etc

13. Environmental History of U.S.

14. U.S. Environmental Legislation
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) –
Stated that federal government must consider the environmental impact of a proposed federal action.

15. U.S. Environmental Legislation
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
– dictates ALL federally proposed actions draft an environmental impact statement (EIS).
Council on Environmental Quality
– Established by the NEPA to monitor the required EIS and report directly to the president

16. EISs : Were they effective?
Complains were made that
They were sometimes incomplete or are ignored when decisions are made.
Delay important projects because they were too involved and took too long to prepare

17. U.S. Environmental Legislation
Addressing New Environmental Problems with Government Policies
Problem identified
US congressperson drafts legislation
Legislation passed, signed by president
Full-cost accounting evaluation
EPA develops regulations
Office of Management and budget (OMB)
Public comments
Regulations implemented / enforced by states (usually)
OMB reviews / approves funding

18. U.S. Environmental Legislation
Many environmental laws have been passed:
Clean Air Act (1970) (Amended in 1990)
Clean Water Act (1972)
Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972)
Endangered Species Act (1973)
Energy Policy and Conservation Act (1975)
Federal Land Policy and Management Act (1976)
National Forest Management Act (1976)
Toxic Substances Control Act (1976)
Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act (1977)
Medical Waste Tracking Act
Food Quality Protection Act (1996)
Farm Security and Rural Investment Act (2002)

19. U.S. Environmental Legislation
What has been their effect since 1970?
8 National Parks, National Wilderness Preservation System
Substantial soil erosion reduction
Many endangered species fairing better
Emissions of many pollutants reduced

20. Economics and the Environment
The study of how people use their limited resources to try to satisfy their unlimited wants.
- An economist view the world as one large market place where resources are allocated for various uses and where goods and services are consumed and paid for.

21. Economics and the Environment
Economy
Production
Consumption
Products
Money
Source
Raw Materials
Sinks
Waste
Starts with a Source, ends with a Sink

22. Economics and the Environment
National Income Accounts
The total income of a nation for a given year
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Net Domestic Product (NDP)
NDP = GDP - depreciation / capital expenses
BUT, consuming nonrenewable natural resources typically NOT accounted

23. Economics and the Environment
National Income Accounts
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Net Domestic Product (NDP)
NDP = GDP - depreciation / capital expenses
In addition, degradation of natural resources by pollution also typically NOT accounted
External costs rarely considered

24. Economics and the Environment
Marginal cost of pollution
The additional cost associated with one more unit of pollution
Economist makes use of scientific tools such as graphs

25. Economics and the Environment
Marginal cost of pollution abatement
The added cost for all present and future members of society of an additional unit of pollution

26. Economics and the Environment
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Used by economist to identify the point at which the marginal cost of pollution equals the marginal cost of abatement (intersection)

27. Economics and the Environment
Cost-Benefit Analysis

28. Economics and the Environment
Common problems with economic analyses:
1) Reduction in quality of life and natural beauty difficult to assess.
2) Fails to consider unexpected catastrophic environmental damage.

29. Economics and the Environment
Economic strategies for pollution control:
Command and control regulations
Pollution-control laws that work by setting limits on levels of pollution
2) Incentive-based regulation
Pollution-control laws that work by establishing emission targets and providing industries with incentives to reduce emissions

30. Economics and the Environment
Case-in-Point: Environmental Problems in Central and Eastern Europe
Water was poisoned by raw sewage and chemicals, unidentified chemicals leaked into out of dumpsters into soil and ground water, power plants emitted soot and sulfur dioxide, building eroded, entire forests died, crop yields dropped.

31. Environmental Ethics, Values, and Worldviews
Branch of philosophy that is derived through the logical application of human values
Values
The principles that an individual or society considers important or worthwhile
Worldview
Commonly shared perspectives based on a collection of our basic values that help us to make sense of the world, understand our place and purpose in it and determine right and wrong behavior.

32. Environmental Ethics, Values, and Worldviews
Environmental worldview
Helps us make sense of how the environment works, and right and wrong environmental behavior
Western worldview
An understanding of our place in the world based on human superiority and dominance over nature, the unrestricted use of natural resources and economic growth to manage an expanding industrial base
Deep ecological worldview
An understanding of our place in the world based on harmony with nature, a spiritual respect for life, and the belief that human and all other species have equal worth

33. Environmental Ethics, Values, and Worldviews
List your moral values concerning the stewardship of natural resources.
Where would you place yourself along this spectrum of worldviews?
Deep Ecology
Western