Environmental Science 2-3: International Env. Policy &Approaches

Chapter 2-3: International Environmental Policy & Approaches

Multiple Choice

What is the definition of ecological footprint?

• is the footprint of ecologist

• is a measure of the impact living things have on the environment.

• is a kind of plant that grows in the rainforest.

• a measure of the amount of land needed to support one person in a particular country.

Multiple Choice

A scientific estimation of the likelihood of negative effects that may result from exposure to a specific hazard.

• Cost-Benefit Analysis

• Law of Supply and Demand

• Risk Assessment

• Tragedy of the Commons

Multiple Choice

In the U.S., laws enacted from the 1780s to the late 1800s reflected the perception that

• the amount of land and natural resources in the West was endless.

• the natural resources of the West could be used up and required legal protection.

• Americans were living amid dirtier air, dirtier water, and more waste and toxic chemicals.

• a sustainable future should be a primary goal.

Multiple Choice

Things that we appreciate for beauty, that help define our culture, or that teach us about ourselves are said to have

• market failures.

• ecolabels.

• non-market values.

• cost-benefit analysis.

Multiple Choice

What major entity of the U.S. government has the chief responsibility for overseeing environmental regulations?

• Environmental Impact Statement

• Environmental Protection Agency

• National Park Service

• Supreme Court

Introduction

• While humans create and acknowledge boundaries between nations, the environment is not affected by them

  • Problems in one country can easily be spread to another

  • Laws in one country may not be the same in another

• We all face the same problems and must pull from the same limited amount of resources

  • Requires Cooperation between nations

International Environmental Policy

• Transboundary Problems: environmental problems that involve more than one nation

  • Example: Rivers that cross multiple countries, air currents, migratory animals

• Conventions and treaties may be formed to help create and establish international laws

  • can not directly enforce the laws, but can influence the behaviors of the countries involved.

The United Nations (EU) & Environmental Policy

• First founded in 1945

  • Today there are 197 nations

• Helps to shape international environmental policy

• The United Nations Environment Programme

  • Located in Nairobi, Kenya

  • Promotes sustainable development

  • Performs Research for global policy Makers

The European Union (EU) & Environmental Policy

• Founded after World War II

  • main goal was to promote Europe's economic and social progress

• Can sign treaties and enact regulations that have authority in member nations

• The EU European Environment Agency does research and analysis for policymakers

The World Trade Organization (WTO)

• Established in 1995

• Promotes free trade and enforces fair trade practices among member nations

  • Has the authority to impose financial penalties on noncompliant nations

• Can both help solve and add to environmental problems

  • Brazil and Venezuela argued against US EPA regulations because they hurt their ability to sell their petroleum

World Bank & Environmental Policy

• Established in 1944

• Provides interest-free credits and loans/grants to poor nations to improve the living standards in the country

• Funds projects like dams and irrigation systems

• Sometimes funds non-sustainable projects

Non-Government Organizations (NGO) & Environmental Policy

• Many groups exist outside of governments and exert influence over international environmental policy

• Attempt to shape policy through many means

• Contribute to research and funding toward solving environmental problems

Multiple Choice

If one nation's laws make it impossible for another nation to sell its goods there, which organization is most likely to get involved?

• The World Bank

• The UN

• The World Trade Organization

• The EPA

• The EU

Drag and Drop

​

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problems are environmental problems that involve multiple nations. The ​Pollution of the

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river is an example of this, as it flows between the countries of The United States and​

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Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

Transboundary

Tijuana

Mexico

Global Crisis

International

Canada

Mississippi

Ohio

Cross-boundary

Multiple Choice

Which collection of nations can sign treaties that have authority within their member nations?

• The United Nations

• The European Union

• The World Trade Organization

• The World Wildlife Fund

Approaches Towards Environmental Policy

• The main form of policy in the past has been the Command-and-Control approach

  • The Government makes rules and punishes violations

  • Pros: Is simple, direct, and effective

  • Cons: Government can fail or be manipulated

    • The Free Market can come up with more solutions that work better in a faster amount of time

• Modern Policy tries to combine Command-and Control with Private endeavors

  • Economic incentives

Tax Breaks

• Lowering taxes for individuals/businesses that partake in a particular behavior/action

  • A means of encouraging businesses and individuals to do something

  • Gives an incentive to make otherwise costly changes

    • Pay a larger amount now but less overall

Subsidies

• Subsidy: A giveaway of Cash or public resources intended to encourage a particular activity or lower the price of a product

  • Can be used for all sorts of things

  • Are controversial for many reasons

    • Can be used for environmentally harmful practices

    • Can not help people very much, or even hurt them

      • The subsidy does not cover the cost of the change

Green Taxes

• Taxes are imposed on companies that participate in activities or produce products that are harmful to the environment

  • Used more in Europe than in the United States

  • The ultimate goal: to encourage companies to innovate ways to reduce pollution

  • Can make products more expensive overall since companies pass the cost to the consumers

Cap-and-Trade System

• The Government determines the overall amount of pollution allowed per pollutant and gives companies permits to use a fraction of that amount

  • The "Cap" is the upper limit of what can be allowed

  • These can be bought/sold/traded among companies

  • Limits Pollution while allowing businesses to meet their own needs

    • As innovations improve production, the amounts can change and permits can be retired

• Does limit pollution, but can lead to most pollution occurring in specific areas

Local Incentives

• Local governments may choose to enoforce their own policies for specific problems they face

  • Can combine other methods of encouragement

Multiple Choice

What has been the main form of environmental policy in the past?

• Command-and-Control

• Tax Breaks

• Cap-and-Trade

• Green Taxes

• Subsidies

Multiple Choice

When a government gives cash to an industry to support an activity of the industry, that is an example of which incentive?

• Command-and-Control

• Tax Breaks

• Cap-and-Trade

• Green Taxes

• Subsidies

Multiple Choice

True or False: The most common critique of the cap-and-trade system is that companies competing in a free market will produce better solutions at a lower cost than a government can.

• True

• False

The Environmental Policy Process

• Creating Environmental Policy can take time to happen, and generally follows the same overall steps

• Step 1: Identify the problem

  • Requires Observation and scientific knowledge

  • It is important to know if something actually is a problem before doing anything else

The Environmental Policy Process

• Step 2: Identify the Cause of the problem

  • Without a cause, you can not have a solution

  • Requires complex scientific research to get a full scope of the issue

• Step 3: Envision Solutions

  • Applying scientific knowledge to try and solve problems

  • The more possible solutions, the better the outcome

    • May involve compromise

The Environmental Policy Process

• Step 4: Get Organized

  • Once you have possible solutions, you need to market them to the right audience

  • Organizations are more effective than governments due to their smaller nature

• Step 5: Gain Access

  • Once an organization has rallied around a solution, they can begin to lobby officials to support their cause

  • Lobbying: Efforts to influence an elected official into supporting something

    • More affected in groups than individuals

The Tijuana River Part 3

• In 1999, Activist Lori Saldaña and Oceanographer Tim Baumgartner tested the water quality near the water treatment plants

  • Found that the process being used was not as effective as the initial models predicted they would be

• They published their findings online and led to a new push to improve the water treatment methods being used

• The original plant was upgraded in 2011 to the final stage

• While the problems of pollution continue today, more research is helping to improve the treatment methods

Drag and Drop

​

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is the act of influencing an elected official into supporting something.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

Lobbying

Ecolabeling

Researching

incentivizing

Brainstorming

Capping

Blackmail

Multiple Choice

What statement about cap-and-trade systems is true?

• It prohibits companies from emitting any pollution.

• It consistently reduces pollution in all areas.

• It issues permits that allow companies to emit a percentage of the overall amount of a given pollutant.

• It always leads to positive environmental results.

Multiple Choice

True or False: Governments are more effective at coming up with inexpensive solutions than individuals or groups.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Sometimes, a company that generates pollution will pay extra taxes, based on the amount of pollution it produces. These are known as

• green taxes

• command and control taxes

• subsidy taxes

• cap and trade taxes

Open Ended

Think of an environmental problem in your area that you would like to see solved. Explain what the problem is, and then write at least one paragraph (at least 5 sentences) describing a way you would solve the problem using at least three of the methods described in class.