2.4: Activity 2- Environmental Laws and Regulations
(1.24.3 CC-BY https://bio.libretexts.org/@go/page/33044 )
Introduction
In general, Policy is a set of principles, rules, and guidelines formulated or adopted by an organization to reach its long-term goals and to guide its decision-making. Laws and policies are related in that policies are created to support the laws that have been put in place. Policies provide the framework for how laws will be implemented and enforced, as well as what is expected of those who are governed by the law. Although environmental laws are generally considered a 20th-century phenomenon, attempts have been made to legislate environmental controls throughout history. In 2,700 B.C., the Middle Eastern civilization in Ur passed laws protecting the few remaining forests in the region. In 80 A.D., the Roman Senate passed a law to protect water stored for dry periods so it could be used for street and sewer cleaning. During American colonial times, Benjamin Franklin argued for "public rights" laws to protect the citizens of Philadelphia against industrial pollution produced by animal hide tanners.
Significant environmental action began at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1906, Congress passed the “Antiquities Act,” which authorizes the president to protect areas of federal lands as national monuments. A few years later, Alice Hamilton pushed for government regulations concerning toxic industrial chemicals. She fought, unsuccessfully, to ban the use of lead in gasoline. She also supported the legal actions taken by women who were dying of cancer from their exposure to the radium then used in glow-in-the-dark watch dials. During the early 1960s, biologist Rachel Carson pointed out the need to regulate pesticides such as DDT to protect the health of wildlife and humans.
With the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970, environmental law became a field substantial enough to occupy lawyers on a full-time basis. Since then, federal and state governments have passed numerous laws and created a vast network of complicated rules and regulations regarding environmental issues. Moreover, international organizations and agencies including the United Nations, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization have also contributed to environmental rules and regulations. Because of the legal and technical complexities of the subjects covered by environmental laws, persons dealing with such laws must be knowledgeable in the areas of law, science, and public policy. Environmental laws today encompass a wide range of subjects such as air and water quality, hazardous wastes, and biodiversity. The purpose of these environmental laws is to prevent, minimize, remedy, and punish actions that threaten or damage the environment and those that live in it. However, some people believe that these laws unreasonably limit the freedom of people, organizations, corporations, and government agencies by placing controls on their actions.
Possible activities:
California State senate
For this exercise, we will act out a potential debate at a meeting based on a real issue in the western United States. This debate will be based on “Counting Sheep” by Elizabeth Clark (instructor handout) and/or the document produced by The Wild Sheep Foundation. For this activity, you will split into senatorial groups based on different roles, research the issue, and formulate a position on the issue based on your assigned role.
Your group’s role:
Your group’s position:
Newscast
In small groups, learn the different aspects of the debate and try and write a script outlining as many sides to the story as possible. There should be about 5 short paragraphs produced, one about the history, one about the sheep, one about the lions, and two about management controversies.
When complete, hand your paragraphs to your instructor who will act as a managing editor. Your instructor may put the paragraphs from different groups up for vote and discussion. You can choose the best paragraphs and sentences produced by all the groups to make the best possible newscast covering the topic.
Questions for after the activity:
- Why do we preserve a particular species? Because of its value to the conservation of overall biodiversity, or because of an intrinsic right to exist?
- Why is it socially or ethically acceptable to hunt certain species but not others? Where and why do we draw the line?
- What are the pros and cons of culling lions? What are some methods that the Fish and Game Commission could use to moderate the cons?
- What are the cons of bighorn sheep extinction?
- Humans hunt wild ungulates and rodents. Why do voters have such a strong aversion to killing lions when hunting other mammals is morally or socially acceptable? Is this concern for charismatic megafauna actually counterproductive to environmental goals/biodiversity conservation? Briefly explain your answer.