Energy Policy Public Policy

Public Policy intro How does the government attempt to protect its resources and the environment?

Environmental Policy Public Policy

Environmental Policy Policies Environmental Policy The goal is to protect the environment for future generations while interfering as little as possible with the freedom of people or efficiency of the economy In 1970, Nixon signed the National Environmental Policy Act This was the beginning of comprehensive environmental policy in the US

Environmental Policy Policies NEPA The NEPA forced agencies to provide environmental impact statements to the govt about any project or proposal The US was the first country to impose this requirements on its government These force agencies to consider their impact and at least look into less invasive alternatives to their plans The problem with the statements is that they do not prevent an agency from doing its project They don’t stop harmful projects, only force them to slow down & consider

Environmental Policy Policies EPA The Environmental Protection Agency was created by Nixon in 1970 It consolidated other environmental programs into one big department The EPA has quasi legislative “rule making” power and the ability to enforce laws & settle disputes It is now the nation’s largest independent regulatory agency

It has reduced overall air pollution by more than 10% Environmental Policy Policies Clean Air Act In 1970, this gave the EPA the power to protect & improve the nation’s air It forced the Dept of Transportation to begin reducing emissions in cars This law is a mandate. The federal govt announced it, but it is up to the states to do most of the work implementing it. It has reduced overall air pollution by more than 10%

Environmental Policy Policies Water Pollution Control Act This is similar to the Clean Air Act. This law is a mandate. The federal govt announced it, but it is up to the states to do most of the work implementing it. It focuses on preventing discharge into waterways, but it cannot prevent “runoff” pollution The result of implementation of this was a dramatic decrease in water pollution

Environmental Policy Policies Land Conservation The govt took a more active role in preserving untouched lands in the 1900s The National Park System was created in 1916 to preserve wilderness There are now 378 national parks and 155 national forests across the country 4% of all US land is designated as protected wilderness

Environmental Policy Policies Land Conservation

Environmental Policy Policies Endangered Species Act The Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973 It requires the govt to actively protect the animals on the list regardless of economic consequences for the areas that are home to the species There have been more than 1000 animal species added to the list and 28 have been “delisted” after populations recovered

Environmental Policy Policies Superfund In 1980 the Superfund was created by adding a tax to chemical products It forces those that cause the pollution to bear the burden of paying for clean up of toxic waste sites The tax went in to a trust fund to pay for the cleanup. The tax ended in 1995. The trust fund ran out in 2003 Now we pay for the cleanup instead of the polluters! We do require “cradle to grave” tracking of toxic chemicals & mandate disposal type

Environmental Policy Policies Nuclear Waste The govt has tons of nuclear waste that needs to be carefully disposed of Congress created a plan to bury it all at Yucca Mountain in the 1980s but never implemented this plan “Not In My Backyard” resistance at local levels makes this hard to deal with

Environmental Policy Policies Nuclear Waste The govt has tons of nuclear waste that needs to be carefully disposed of Congress created a plan to bury it all at Yucca Mountain in the 1980s but never implemented this plan “Not In My Backyard” resistance at local levels makes this hard to deal with

Global Warming Public Policy

Scientists predict the earth will be 2 to 6 degrees warmer by 2100 Environmental Policy Policies Global Warming Scientists predict the earth will be 2 to 6 degrees warmer by 2100 If ice caps melt and sea levels rise, the US stands to deal with economic devastation on its coasts Global warming can impact weather patterns – causing harsher weather – forcing the government to respond more

Scientists predict the earth will be 2 to 6 degrees warmer by 2100 Environmental Policy Policies Global Warming Scientists predict the earth will be 2 to 6 degrees warmer by 2100 If ice caps melt and sea levels rise, the US stands to deal with economic devastation on its coasts Global warming can impact weather patterns – causing harsher weather – forcing the government to respond more

Environmental Policy Policies Kyoto Protocol In 1997, 150 nations agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions The goal was to reduce it to below 1990 levels by the year 2010. Very few reached their goal President Clinton agreed to it, but never sent the treaty to the Senate President Bush completely renounced the US participation in the plan.

Environmental Policy Policies Kyoto Protocol In 1997, 150 nations agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions The goal was to reduce it to below 1990 levels by the year 2010. Very few reached their goal President Clinton agreed to it, but never sent the treaty to the Senate President Bush completely renounced the US participation in the plan.

Environmental Policy Policies Cap & Trade Obama’s first plan was a proposed cap and trade system Each company would have an emission allowance. If they polluted less, they would have “credits” Companies could sell their credits to other companies that needed to pollute more This would give companies freedom to choose how to produce This would reward companies who were able to reduce emissions

Environmental Policy Policies Paris Climate Agreement A 2014 agreement negotiated by 196 countries at a conference in Paris The goal is to keep global temperature rise below 2 degrees, which is seen as a “no turning back point” Each country gets to make its own goals and determine its own plan No enforcement or punishment – but each country does its best to reach goals Obama agreed to it in 2014, Trump announced his withdrawal in 2017.

Energy Policy Public Policy

82% of our energy comes from coal, oil, and natural gas Energy Policy Policies Energy Policy America depends on the availability of energy. It must protect its access to these sources of energy 82% of our energy comes from coal, oil, and natural gas

82% of our energy comes from coal, oil, and natural gas Energy Policy Policies Energy Policy America depends on the availability of energy. It must protect its access to these sources of energy 82% of our energy comes from coal, oil, and natural gas

Energy Policy Policies Coal Our most abundant source of energy is coal 90% of our energy resources are in coal deposits Even though its our most abundant, it is the dirtiest Interests of environmentalists and coal mining states need to be balanced

Energy Policy Policies Petroleum & Gas Natural gas & oil are cleaner than coal but still cause pollutants 25% of our electricity comes from natural gas sources now The US imports more than half of the oil it consumes

Energy Policy Policies Petroleum & Gas Natural gas & oil are cleaner than coal but still cause pollutants 25% of our electricity comes from natural gas sources now The US imports more than half of the oil it consumes

Energy Policy Policies Oil & National Security Depending on oil exports makes the US at the mercy of other nations OPEC put an oil embargo on the US in the 1970s and it crippled the economy The US puts much of its oil in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve The oil is stored to use in the event of another oil shortage in the US

Bigly Ideas Public Policy

Public Policy Wrap Up Economics vs Environment Environmental Policies Energy Sources in the US Global Warming Focus on these things: