CSM 405 Public Policy Chapter 11
false
T/F: The EPA is directly answerable to Congress.
Cap and trade
Which of the following policies is considered a market incentive?
sustainable development
economic growth that is compatible with environmental systems and social goals.
collaborative decision making
An approach to environmental or resource decision making in which industry and other stakeholders work cooperatively with government officials. Thought to be more effective and less conflict ridden than more conventional regulation.
Efficiency
Developing alternative energy is likely to be an effective policy option to reduce carbon emissions. However, alternative energy is costly to develop yet produces less energy (than fossil fuels) for the investment. Which evaluative criteria would reflect this high cost-to-benefit ratio
Command and control regulation
Environmental policies such as the Clean Air Act, Water Pollution Control Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, and Toxic Substances Control Act (and others) tended to emphasize which policy tool?
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969
Focused on regulating the PROCESS of making local decisions to protect the environment. Required developers to conduct an environmental impact statement. Was enacted because states were not protecting the environment sufficiently
resource subsidies
Government policies that provide financial incentives (subsidies) to develop and use specific resources, such as land, water, minerals, and forests. Traditionally a major component of federal natural resource policies.
Business/economic
In the U.S., relating to almost all kinds of environmental policy, there is ongoing tension between environmental interests and _____ interests
true
T/F: A cap-and-trade program is an emissions-control policy and market incentive that limits an industry's emission allowance and allows it to purchase emission permits from other lower-emitting industries.
false
T/F: The environmental policy-making process in the United States was initially marked by unproductive gridlock but has resulted in much progress and policy development in recent years
false
T/F: The seven major statutes that were enacted in the 1970s focused on the protection of ecosystems and biodiversity
Uniform air quality standards for the entire U.S.
The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970, for the first time, developed
Market incentives
The Clean Air Act amendment of 1990 provided for the use of buying and selling of pollution permits to combat acid rain. What type of policy instrument does this describe?
Independent executive agency
The EPA is a(n) __
Pollution control and protection of human health
The seven major statutes that were enacted in the 1970s focused on:
Pollution control, resource conservation/ management, and energy policy
The three primary areas of focus for environmental policy are described by which of the following statements?
IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)
United Nations scientific body charged with periodic assessment of global climate change and its effects.
A policy that implements a higher tax on gasoline and other fossil fuels to curb their use
What is a carbon tax?
A shift in emphasis toward principles of protecting habitat and maintaining biological diversity
What is ecosystem-based management?
Natural resources should be managed in a way that encourages economic development but also protects the environment.
What is meant by "multiple use" when discussing natural resource policy?
Economic growth that is compatible with natural environmental systems and social goals
What is the best definition of sustainable development?
An emissions-control policy and market incentive that limits an industry's emission allowance and allows it to purchase emission permits from other lower-emitting industries
Which best describes a cap-and-trade program?
Period of incremental policy change followed by high level of regulation
Which best describes the recent history of environmental policymaking in the U.S.?
They have had mixed results: while point source pollution has declined and urban air quality has improved, other conditions have not improved
Which statement best summarizes the effectiveness of U.S. environmental policies enacted over the past 30 to 40 years?
Consensus ; disagreement
With regard to environmental policy formulation, in the 1970s, ____ was the norm in the United States, while ____ was the norm in the 1980s and 1990s
Ecosystem management
____ refers to a policy approach to manage natural resources by looking more broadly at the diversity of wildlife, natural resources, and pollution issues that affect a wider area
Imposition of user fees and reduction of resource subsidies
_____ are two of the most frequently proposed policy options for future natural resource policies.
Sustainable development
______ is defined as economic growth that is compatible with natural environmental systems and social goals
ecosystem based management
a comprehensive approach to natural resource management that emphasizes the integrated treatment of entire ecosystem and their functions. Contrasted with efforts to deal with a specific species or body of land or water
EIS (Environmental Impact Statement)
a form of impact assessment in which government agencies must provide details on the environmental consequences of major actions, such as highway construction, and make them public prior to a final decision on the project.
multiple use
any natural resource, such as public forest land, can be used simultaneously for multiple purposes or use, for example, timber harvesting and recreations.
environmental stewardship
based on the belief that the natural environment should be protected for future generations
Climate Change
change in global climate patterns, characterized by rising temperatures, increased severity of storms, and persistent droughts caused largely by greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, coal, oil, and natural gas
OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)
established to help fuse interests, particularly the price of oil in the world market and the stability of oil production and consumption.
intergenerational equity
ethical principle that emphasized fairness or equity among generations.
CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards
federal program that mandates achievement of an average level of fuel efficiency for a given automakers line of vehicles. Sets minimum fuel economy standards; but only for the average of all vehicles produced
environmental policy
government actions that affect or attempt to affect environmental quality and the use of natural resources. May take place at the local, state, regional, national, or international level.
direct regulation
government regulates or controls environmental health and safety performance of industry or other facilities through the setting and enforcement of standards and sometimes through requirements for certain technologies to be used.
command and control
government sets and enforces standards for air quality, water quality, and other resources
EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
independent federal regulatory agency charged with enforcement of most environmental protection laws.
Clean Power Plan
issued by EPA in August 2015, seeks to reduce carbon pollution from electric power generation by 32% below 2005 levels when fully in place by 2030; and thereby to facilitate a transition to cleaner sources of energy. Also, significantly lower emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxides, major contributors to air pollution and thus a risk to public health.
Kyoto Protocol
major international treaty that commits signatory nations to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by a specified amount as a way to reduce the risk of global climate change or global warming
hydraulic fracturing
rapidly expanding oil and gas drilling in the shale rock formation in which water, sand, and chemicals are injected under pressure to release the oil and natural gas.
Cap and Trade policy
relies on market based mechanisms in which an overall cap or ceiling is set and trading of permits or allowances is allowed within that cap. The cap maybe lowered over time.
Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)
report published each year and can be accessed on the EPAs website and elsewhere. Describes toxic chemicals that industrial facilities release to the air, water, and land in communities across the country
user fees
specific fees or charges that the user of a natural resource pays. Could be entering a national park, harvesting timber on public lands, or mining minerals on public lands.
carbon tax
tax on gas or fossil fuels, often proposed as a revenue neutral tax in which other taxes are lowered by the same amount as the new tax on carbon.