Environmental Protection Issues Facing the Nation

Most controversies in environmental policy are rooted in clashes of values involving science and technology versus humanism, economic efficiency versus humanism, the role of nature in society and the role of government in society. The author discusses how America makes environmental policy - at the Federal and State levels as well as their enforcement agencies designed to protect and regulate at the same time. Portney examines legislation, public opinion, implementation or non-implementation relative to the debates over water, air and soil management.

NACEPT reviews and recommends environmental foresight methods, and identifies emerging trends and issues relevant to EPA in the next five to ten years.

This book assesses and compares the political response of nations to the environment. The book explores five major topics: state-society relations; environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs); Green parties and environmental movements; institutions of government and policy-making; variations in the capacities of states to protect the environment; and national responses to global problems. It compares and contrasts rich and poor nations, large and small countries, liberal democracies and authoritarian states.

China is a multiethnic country with a vase territory, a land of diverse ecosystems. With the drive for industrialization in China and the implementation of a western grand development strategy in western regions, both governments and people face great challenges in environmental protection and sustainable use of biodiversity resources as a result of growing interaction between human activities and the natural environment. To meet the challenges, governments in these regions need to adopt a series of important policy measures not only to reduce industrial emissions but also to return farmland to forests and pasture to grasslands and to implement measures of ecological migration to reduce human activities in ecological conservation areas. In this regard, China must not only learn profound lessons from industrialized countries but also search for international cooperation. The United States provides some good comparative case studies on environmental protection, grassroots environmental management, and conservation policies in western regions. This book attempts to address key questions about Chinese and U.S. environmental policies by looking at the historical development of environmental protection and the current environmental policies in the western regions of the two countries. Book jacket.

Is there a real community of interest on the state of the environment that transcends national boundaries? An answer to this vital question will ultimately determine the success or failure of initiatives where international co-operation and co-ordination are essential, such as atmospheric or water pollution controls. Shades of Green, volume two of the ISSP (International Social Survey Programme) series, analyzes data from identical surveys conducted in 22 countries and tackles a wide range of attitudes and priorities. Expectations of government in terms of environmental protection, a comparison of Canada-U.S. results, the level of knowledge on environmental issues from country to country, the perceived role for science in solving ecological problems, and attitudinal differences between the West and states of the former Soviet Union - these issues have serious implications for the environmental movement and government policies worldwide.

This book is a collection of readings that explore environmental issues in Latin America and the Caribbean using natural science and social science methods. These papers demonstrate the value of interdisciplinary approaches to analyze and solve environmental problems. The essays are organized into five parts: conservation challenges; national policies, local communities, and rural development; market mechanisms for protecting public goods; public participation and environmental justice; and the effects of development policies on the environment.