Assigment #7, Part 2

Part 2
1) http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/04/23/23greenwire-industry-enviro-groups-spar-over-senate-climat-61576.html?scp=15&sq=sustainability&st=cse

2) Wood-biomass electricity has been known as a clean energy to all of us. To use forests for generating biomass fuel coincides with the policy goal of sustainable development if the sustainability standard is abided by. However, the article shows the political conflict and opinions of forest industry and environmental groups about Senate Climate Bill’s biomass provisions of forest to protect climate and improve sustainability of nation level.

Congress and environmental groups request stronger sustainability than the previous standard. Clearing forests to generate biomass fuel would quickly outpace environmental gains in the change from fossil fuels to biomass. On the other hand, forest industry argues that market realities without government intervention would prevent deforestation as landowners keep trees to protect long-term productions. The imposition of new biomass regulations on the industry to ban biomass extraction on federally designated wilderness tracts would add costs and discourage the harvest of forest, so that it won’t be profitable. Nearly 100 forestry organizations such as the American Forest Resource Council, the National Alliance of Forest Owners, Duke Energy Corp., and Xcel Energy Inc. urged the law-makers to place no limits on the harvest of biomass from private property whose 57 percent is private.

Sustainability standard of climate and energy law to put a price on carbon, create a renewable energy and fuel standard can be a big new pressure as well as incentives to use biomass to create energy. Therefore, desirable definition and conceptual coverage of sustainability is required to induce forest industry’s support.

3) States with particularly serious deforestation problem may at times go much further than a national government in development policy as California had led the United States in developing automobile emissions regulations by offering a smaller and more manageable political arena (Wheeler, p.125).

However, above problem should be addressed at the national level in that state governments may not have own pure independent resources and jurisdiction. Forests can be overlapped across states and provision, so that the authority of the forest can be not obvious and authority adjustment among states may be required. To deal with equity-oriented concerns at the national level is very important, while state and local governments tend to vary widely in their ability or willingness to develop their own sustainability plan (Wheeler, p.123).

I think that if policy makers try to implement the issue at the state level, the environmental quality’s improvement is very small and is difficult to measure because environmental problems such as climate protection and renewable resource are also global issues need a national commitment rather than state and local effort. Particularly, climate change by air movement and deforestation happen beyond the boundary between states. Therefore, the performance estimate within state level is ambiguous. State governments alone are able to undertake only piecemeal action on such widespread issues although such small-scale contributions can not be ignored (Wheeler, p.123).

Verizon Expands Sustainability Program to Reduce Global Carbon Footprint

http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/04/12/verizon-expands-sustainability-program-to-reduce-global-carbon-footprint/

Issue and process on sustainability is very complex and needs high analysis method about the results or outcomes of program for the sustainable development.
To pursue sustainable development in companies is risky in that it requires high technologies and big capital. So, it may not make ends meet to the companies. But, this article shows the possibility of the win-win picture among Verizon employees, customers, partners and suppliers by expanding Sustainability Program to reduce global carbon footprint. Verizon initiated new energy-efficient technologies. Additional endeavor as well as government support such as U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED silver and gold certifications may be required to ensure sustainable exploitation and positive output.

Assigment #6-Frameworks for Environmental Policy

Question1.
The H.R. 391 bill consisted of two sections stipulates about the definition of air pollutants related to greenhouse gases (GHG) resulting in climate change/global worming, and the authority of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). First of all, the bill’s framework can be analyzed through examining the question of whether the issues stem from a behavior fundamental to our lifestyle. One cause of climate change is our lifestyle choices, which depend on our values, and behaviors based on these values have brought population growth and excessive use of fossil fuels (Cohen, p.111). Someone may make much of just now economic development for improving current material affluence, while other people may take care of the future generation, grandchildren in the way to consider that we ourselves are living in the future and experiencing the negative impact. The perspective’s difference is resulted from the fact that the actual dangers of climate change and global worming will happen in the future. Representatively, if the carbon dioxide is included in the GHG, the use of emitter including cars may be more strictly controlled, which can bring the negative impact on economic growth.
The issue is also relevant to the ethical dimension in that poor countries and poor people are likely to be disproportionately influenced by the climate change, which may also worsen the environmental, social, and economic problems that lead to extreme poverty. We should take into account responsibility to reduce the threat of climate change/global warming for the weak and future generations.

Question2.
Though the H.R. 391 bill was introduced by Republican Mrs. Marsha Blackburn, the Obama administration has announced new standards for automobile fuel economy and global warming emissions in order to regulate the greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. The political conflict keeps unsettled. The counterattack of Congress occurred by two additional House bills: H.R. 4396 and H.R. 4572. On the other hand, as responses of government branch, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson laid out timetable for the GHG regulations on 2010 February 23, writing in a letter to lawmakers that she plans to start targeting large facilities such as power plants next year but won't target small emitters before 2016 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/22/AR2010022204829.html). The EPA finalized a timeline for regulating GHG on April 1, starting with the formal decision that no power plants, industrial facilities or other stationary sources will be federally controlled for greenhouse gas emissions before January 2011 (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/mar/30/epa-greenhouse-gas-regulations).
The GHG problem of H.R. 391 bill involves other political issue. Several lawmakers of Congress argue that the EPA has already been granted substantial unconstitutional powers and wield such big power as to ignore Congress’s legal responsibility. Therefore, H.R. 391 can be evaluated as one of bills that aim to reduce the authority of EPA to regulate the greenhouse gases emission (http://www.jbs.org/energy-blog/5909-stop-the-unconstitutional-job-killing-epa-regulation-of-carbon-dioxide). If enacted, Blackburn bill would protect the U.S. economy and reassert Congress’s responsibility for national policymaking.

Question3.
We should consider the question of whether there is scientific certainty about the causes and effects of the problem. The earth’s climate is an extremely complex system, making it difficult to identify trends and their causes. However, there is certainty that greenhouse effect is making the planet warm and its climate change unlike a conventional pattern. Uncertainty of global problems exists since we do not have accurate measures of global environmental conditions and have never engineered technology on a global scale. If technical findings about components to bring the GHG were uncontroversial, supporters of the H.R. 391 will not oppose to involving elements such as the carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, and nitrous oxide in the term of air pollutants as EPA. Also, opponents to strong measures to reduce CO2 emissions tend not to believe that the cost of such measures exceeds the benefit (Cohen, p.112-113).
Many efforts for devising cost-effective substitutes for the technologies causing harms have been made. Some technologies focus on removing the gases from emissions and storing them, the process called sequestration, rather than decreasing the use of carbon-based fuels. This approach means that we can continue to use fossil fuels until they can be substituted with hydrogen-based sources of energy. Unless we develop technical alternatives to reduce CO2 emissions, our economy will suffer again and world poverty will probably increase. For example, if nuclear power had not brought a dangerous waste and security issue, it may well have replaced oil and gas, and we would all be living in the completely electric houses expected in the fifties. If we fail to devise a technology that can mitigate global warming and climate change, the consequences of the unanticipated negative impact could be catastrophic (Cohen, p.117-119).

Question4.
This bill reflects the strategic thinking of Congress to check the bloated authority of the EPA, based on political considerations, as we can see the second section of the bill which is that nothing in the Clean Air Act shall be treated as authorizing or requiring the regulation of climate change or global warming. The EPA’s current determinations of the GHG would not be made, if there are no judgment of 2007 the Supreme Court, that the EPA has the authority to regulate GHG tailpipe emissions from motor vehicles, and the Agency must also do so if it finds that these emissions cause or contribute to air pollution that may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare (http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/environment/Supreme-Court-Tells-EPA-to-Regualte-Greenhouse-Gases.html).
We can expect that the bill comes right out of the oil/coal lobbyist's claim that Jobs will be lost. However, we can on the contrary think that it will help to create more jobs in the alternative energy field than loses job in the current industry that make rich guys richer. These potential interest groups in alternative energy industry may oppose to the pass of the bill.

Question5.
We should consider that the U.S. has the organizational and managerial capacity to devise alternative energy technology. If the capacity exists, the substitute industry will be able to offset the production shortage by lower level use of carbon fuel than current level. Plants may as ever emit carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, or sulfur hexafluoride that the H.R. 391 bill stipulates, in order to produce goods and profits unless they have the capacity. Therefore, the companies will need the pass of the bill for their profits. If the industrial associations of oil/coal companies have useful strategic plans to control and prevent the greenhouse gas emissions, it will also become positive news in protecting the environmental problem. The public sector including Congress will have to support them for the plan to be realized, which will also reduce the political conflict in environmental policy process.

New Jersey’s lead on ‘Clean Cars’

http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/science-updates/white-house-follows-new-jerseys-lead-on-clean-cars

I found that New Jersey did a huge win for its environment, public health and energy security by pursuing ‘Clean Cars’ program announced by the Obama administration.

It will imply that the Clean Cars effort led by New Jersey shows that states can provid innovative solutions that lead to broader efforts required to result in progress on climate change, therefore, it is critically important that state authority should be kept undamaged as Federal climate legislation is drafted.

Conflict between political party about greenhouse gases

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/02/opinion/02fri2.html?scp=3&sq=greenhouse&st=cse

The linked site show political conflict status between republica and democratic party about greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. The conflict happened in federal level rather than local and state government. The opponents also are trying to roll back strengthened environmental reulation of the Obama administration as we can see H.R.391 introdced in 111th congress. These conflicts are expected to maintain during the whole term of the government.

Assignment #5 Part 2 and 3

Part 2
1. Do you think that currently developing countries have the right to exploit forests (and other natural resources) as Europe and the U.S. did to increase their economic well-being?
a. Why or why not?
I think that developing countries should exploit natural resources including forests as developed nations did to enrich people’s lives. Developed countries have huge capital and technologies to use less carbon-intensive energy sources such as wind, solar, and hypo power. On the other hand, developing nations don’t hold sufficient technologies and money to utilize renewable sources of energy and develop alternative sources of energy such as hybrid car. According to the logic of “the Tragedy of Commons”, because natural resources is not unlimited, in order of the developed and developing nations to survive together, developed countries, which are able to decrease the use of natural resources by using substitute energy, should reduce the exploitation and supplement the decreased part with alternative sources of energy through high level of technology.
If this trend to consider each country’s development level continues, the “Tragedy of Commons” will not happen and the equity among countries in using natural resources will not break up. Instead, both of the developed and developing countries’ economy will improve. Particularly, the environmental technologies development of developed nations will more gain momentum by focusing on technologies rather than resources exploitation. Developed nations can export the eco-friendly technologies to the developing nations. In the long run, guarantee the right to developing nations will lead to coexistence of all countries in current environmental risk.

2. What expectations do you think industrialized nations should have for developing nations in the climate change debate?
The relationship between them is expected to be positive if industrialized nations, that have more responsibilities in climate change due to the environmental pollution by earlier economic development, take the initiative in enhancing the relationship. Industrial countries should expect that developing nations can follow international laws of climate change such as United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This expectation will be able to improve the mitigation of environmental conflict about resources utilization between both of them. Global issue such as climate change can not be solved without cooperation among all countries. The developed nations to hold high-eco friendly technology should show concern and support to developing countries in order to maintain the collaborative relationship.

a. Should equity between industrialized and developing countries be a goal in this debate?
The equity can be divided into procedural equity and distributive equity. I think that the procedural equity between industrialized and developing countries should be considered as goal in the debate, but distributive equity is not necessarily required to all industrializing nations. Even though there is difference of significant capacity in technology and knowledge level between wealthier countries and poor countries, the developing nations have the right to participate in the environmental negotiations and assessments in democratic causes because they are entities in the whole world as small alienated groups within developed countries can not be neglected in the policy process by pluralistic perspective. However, it is difficult of distributive justice regarding how climate change affects people to be applied to all developing countries. Currently, major developing countries such as China and India are coming under increasing political pressure to abide by greenhouse gas (CHG) reductions unlike smaller developing nations (Vig, p.280). Major developing countries should in balanced way deal with the impact of economic development on environment as well as the development because poverty has improved and environmental technologies are substantial. Nowadays, the poverty problem of smaller developing nations is very serious, so that their economic development can be prior to environmental concern. But, they also need environmental support such as technologies transition from industrialized nations.

b. What if a developing nation values economic development more than slowing down global warming? In this case, should they be required to participate in reducing emissions? Why or why not?
Developing nations should make an effort to reduce the emissions because many poor countries as nations in Southeast Asia with low-lying coastal areas, such as Bangladesh and India, will experience a lot of negative impacts of sea level rise and intensive storm (Vig, p.280). They don’t have better management power of sea level rise than wealthy countries such as Netherlands and North American countries. The possibility that the developing countries will become the first victim of the global warming is very high now. Therefore, they will have to seek for the way to do more investment in adapting to accelerating climate change as well as in economic development.

c. Conversely, what expectations should developing nations have for industrialized nations?
Developing countries can expect that developed nations will make an effort to reduce the negative impact of climate change. For example, president Obama had pledged to regain American leadership in global climate negotiations by reengaging in talks under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (Vig, p.355). Also, EU leadership to reduce the CHG emissions can be a example to developing nations (Vig, p.272~5). We can expect that the endeavor will contribute to alleviating global environmental conflicts between developing countries and developed nations. However, the expectations will persist when the intention should not be displayed by just the specific country, but cooperative attitude from many countries including developing nations should consistently maintain.

Part 3 H.R.391
The bill name for my paper is H.R.391: To amend the Clean Air Act to provide that greenhouse gases are not subject to the Act, and for other purposes. U.S. Representatives in Tennessee’s 7th District, Republican Mrs. Marsha Blackburn introduced the bill in September 1, 2009 in the first session of 111th congress. The bill consists of two sections. The first section as greenhouse gas regulation under Clean Air Act is that the term “air pollutant” shall not include carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, or sulfur hexafluoride. The second section as climate change not to be regulated by Clean Air Act is that nothing in the Clean Air Act shall be treated as authorizing or requiring the regulation of climate change or global warming. 153 persons including U.S. Representative in Alabama’s 4th District, Rep. Robert Aderholt participated were recorded as sponsor of the bill.
The bill was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. As latest major action, the committee was discharged by Mrs. Blackburn in July 23, 2009. However, this bill is in the first step in the legislative process. Introduced bills and resolutions first went to committees that deliberate, investigate, and revise them before they go to general debate. The majority of bills and resolutions are not reported by committee yet.
As bills may have multiple titles in this and previous sessions of Congress, we need to track the status of provisions of this bill by looking for an omnibus bill. H. R. 4396 indicating “Save Our Energy Jobs Act” introduced in 111th Congress and now dead H.R. 6666 in 110th Congress is same to the H.R.391.

Sense of "common goods"

The linked news and article below shows the perspective of "common goods" that Nobel laureate, Elinor Ostorm argued. Though she is not economist, she presented the third alternative in order to slove "the Tradegy of Commons" problem. She emphasized the voluntary cooperation in community, which has great implications for us who abuse common goods such as forest and common land.

http://asunews.asu.edu/20100303_ostrom

Article:
http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/america-the-remix/elinor-ostrom-wins-nobel-for-common-s-sense

Assignment #4-1 Newspaper Article Analysis

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/19/us/19PCB.html?_r=3&scp=5&sq=Cancer%20Alley&st=cse

This article published in June 19, 2008 in the New York Times is about problem that the Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCBs) inflicted the city of Port Arthur with a population of about 58,000 people in Texas, which is majority African-American. Environmental justice problem is also called “Environmental discrimination “or “Environmental racism” and has been being addressed by environmental organization such as Sierra Club and Greenpeace as well as EPA. These organizations often used the term, “Cancer Alley” in order to express the difficulties of area to suffer from the environmental injustice. The nickname of Port Arthur was called “Cancer Alley, the Armpit of Texas, Ring of Fire” according to the newspaper. The city became a chemical town by exposure to PCBs, which have been linked to cancer, brain and liver damage, skin rashes and harmful effects to the reproductive system. Therefore, the city had not been maintaining the health of the city in terms of environmental sustainability (Rast, p.253)

Despite a federal ban on importing the PCBs, the company, Veolia Environmental Services, has asked the Environmental Protection Agency for an exemption to move the chemicals and the EPA approved the request. However, environmental activists are opposed to a company’s request to burn PCBs from Mexico at its incinerator. Representatively, Hilton Kelley, a community activist, Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, a senior scientist, and Dr. Neil Carman, director of the Lone Star chapter of the Sierra Club disagreed to the plan. They argued that Jefferson County, where Port Arthur is located, has a cancer rate about 20 percent higher than the state average. African-American residents have complained that it has become a dumping ground for the nation’s toxic waste: “We have a right to a clean environment, and the nation sees us as expendable in the name of big business and it’s not fair to children”. Therefore, this case shows environmental hazards and is relevant to the environmental justice to include the disparities created by the lack of environmental services (Rast, p253).

We could expect a public hearing covering all of the players, from the incinerator lobbyists to local leaders, who might file a suit if the exemption is permitted. Therefore, stakeholders are residents of Port Arthur, particularly, African-American people, local government, EPA, the companies to bring the PCBs in the city, including Veolia Environmental Services, the incinerator producer, the environmental groups interested in the problem, such as Sierra Club, and PCBs expert. Namely, the residents are affected by the environmental problem in terms of health and equity. The companies are related to own business profit and the experts should present desirable guidance and knowledge. Government should well settle the problem to reach coordination.

The “quality of life” problem resulted from the pollutants is the principal justification for environmental justice (Rast, p251). As the evaluation of the opponents, the companies needed to pursue the “eco-efficiency” plan that environment can be protected through efficiency gains, such as cost saving by portable plants construction, rather than through actions that might limit prosperity. This more eco-friendly disposal alternatives can support human well-being over long term and contribute to the environmental sustainability of the city (Vig, p244-245).

Environmental Performance Index (EPI)

I found one interesting article. According to this article and 2010 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) made by Yale University’s environmental center and Columbia University, Iceland recorded number one country which is cleanest and most abided by the environmental law..But I am a little suspecting about the estimate standard of the Index but, the evaluation will can be model for the environmental problem and policy evaluation in terms of technique such as the setting of cost and benefit.

EPI site:http://epi.yale.edu/

Article:http://www.mlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/02/kirk_heinze_reflections_on_the.html

EPA lays out timetable for regulating greenhouse gas emissions

This article was cited from Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/22/AR2010022204829.html

First of all, this article shows the political dynamics among president, EPA, congress, Courts and interest groups. As the policy implement of EPA, companies to own power plants for producing automobile should abide by the Obama's regulation under te Clean Air Act as well as seek tradable pollution permits because the Suprem Court judeged greenhouse gases from motor vehicles as a pollutant. Finally, the conflict between EPA and interest groups is expected. In order to effectively handle the expected cnflict, the EPA may utilize adaptive management.

Assignment #3 General Questions

13) Public manager and environmental planners should engage the public even though they are limited about the scientific knowledge of an environmental issue. Political discussion with the public can produce the unexpected useful information which is required at complex uncertain modern ecosystem. For conducting more active adaptive management, this wide participation is desirable and the discussion is better in earlier stage of the policy process because to change previous decided plan is risky and may need additional material efforts. The process can diminish a sense of distance between modern people to more concern environmental problem and government, and improve public trust and democratic value. A variety of participation way such internet and video conference will be able to used to reflect the diverse opinion.

14) When we confront the problem that national park may be spoiled because of extracting the natural resource, the conservation value of the park can be estimated with the contingent valuation method. Urban area expansion into desert area or breaking mountain by dimension of urban development can face opposition of city residents who enjoy happiness to see natural scope such as desert and mountain. If the South Mountain of city of Phoenix is broken up by the city or state government to intend to enlarge the south area of phoenix, cityscape will be impaired. In order to address the environmental problems, the cost and benefit of resource collection and city planning should be measured. As the analysis method, the CV approach will be desirable because these situations and values are imaginary, and those can not be exchanged by the principle of demand and supply price in economic market.

15) In the case that air pollution resulted from firms within any region become an environmental issue, the cost of the pollution should be estimated. In order to resolve the pollution problem, tradable permits transacted in economic market have been much utilized. The permits can reflect the social cost of the pollution if the firms inform the transaction cost. Also, when we face the environmental problem that river to supply natural water is polluted by construction, the pollution cost can be gauged with the price of natural water transacted in economic market such as Walmart and Safeway. Since these situations and trade are realistic and besides occur in private market, the CV method is not appropriate.

Biofuel and relevant issues

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/opinion/11thu3.html
This editorial say that the EPA encourage biofuel production in oder to lessen the United States' depenency on foreign oil and reduce the emission of greenhause gases.

It shows the importance of standard in calculating the emission impact and the conflict between the E.P.A. and Congress. Also, it presents that energy policy and environmental policy is very close.

Assignment-Part 2 (My Op-Ed)

• Op-Ed
The environmental policy of the United States has changed through the process of an understanding, conflict, and adjustment by various policy participants such as Presidents, Congress, Courts, interest groups, and so on. This relative policy dynamics was determined by the period’s context including economic, political, and social situation. In the big-long mainstream that the environmental quality is important to modern citizens and most people are increasingly craving for good environment and the quality of life, short-term flow to reflect a special political, economic, and social situation affects the long-term stream. If any historical event or policy context such as president election, economic cycle, and energy supply problem was suited to the long-term trend, the environmental policy quantitatively or qualitatively more developed in terms of budget, environmental program, staffing, and other administrative styles. If it is vice versa, the environmental policy rolled back as Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush administration (Vig, p.79)

A large number of important federal environmental laws have made, and the role and intervention of federal government about the environmental problems has grown much bigger since 1970s (Vig, p.11). On the first Earth Day in 1970, people’ concern about the environmental quality more mounted, and President Richard Nixon to proclaim the 1970s as the “environmental decade” and congress leaded by Democratic Party established the National Environmental Policy act (NEPA) to compel all agencies of the federal government to integrate environmental concerns into their planning and decision-making. To create the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Clean Air Act and Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Clean Water Act) is also epoch-making. New various laws including the first pesticide regulation, endangered species protections, control of hazardous and toxic wastes and ocean and coastline protection means also marvelous development of the environmental policy in the era. Nearly all of these achievements reflect that the federal government had ample authority to enforce polluters or potential polluters to adhere to national direct pollution control and command (Vig, p.12).

On the other hand, the president Ronald Reagan in the 1980s pursued the mitigation of environmental conservation because he recognized the government intervention including the environmental regulation as inherent factor to hamper the United States’ economic growth and prosperity (Vig, p.79). He was trying to transfer central responsibilities to the states and more rely on the private sector (Vig, p.13). Reagan’s great budget cuts that Congress initially cooperated to had substantial negative effects on the capacity of environmental agencies to implement previous grown policy order (Vig, p.80). Particularly, Reagan appointed new people to environmental agencies in order to procure compliance with his policy goal and representative example is his selection of Burford to head of EPA. This presidency endeavor focused on the administrative style such as executive order, budget, and staffing cuts rather than new bill establishment of 1970s (Vig, p.79). However, his lukewarm attitude about environmental problems instead motivated environmental groups and environmentalists’ organizational action and concern about the environment. Therefore, George H. W Bush, republican was eager to adopt a more positive environmental policy than Reagan. However, his policy also was inherently accorded with his predecessor’s ideological goal to pursue economic growth and market competition (Vig, p.81).

Bill Clinton as democrat to appoint Al Gore, passionate environmentalist to vice-president propelled environmental policy reform as his intention to “reinvent government”. He tried to restore many of the Reagan and Bush period executive actions regarding to environmental problems in the way to increase the budget for the programs and encourage alternative energy and conservation research (Vig, p.15). His endeavor can be summarized in harmonizing environmental protection and economic development through the President’s Council on Sustainable Development (Vig, p.2). On the contrary to the Clinton, George W. Bush, republican more emphasized economic growth rather than environmental concern like his father, Bush, for example, as knowing through withdrawal of the United States from the Kyoto Protocol on global climate. Bush exercised the executive powers of the presidency such as appointment, budget, and rulemaking to build an antiregulatory and pro-business plan such as “Clear Skies” throughout most of his tenure (Vig, p.85-88). This economic-centered perspective benefited further unlike previous trends, after the terror event of September 11, 2001, invasion to Iraq, and great economic crisis of 2008 (Vig, p.15).

Barack Obama emphasized that his stance would be significantly different from his antecessor’s environmental policies by proclaiming that “combating global warming is a top priority and to reinvigorate the EPA, actively interchange with environmental experts, respect scientific integrity, be responsible steward of our natural treasures, and reverse the Bush administration’s attempts about the environmental concerns…” His selection for cabinet and top White House staff positions for the group to be called as “a Green Dream Team” by the League of Conservation Voters mean that he is promoting the designated agenda (Vig, p.91). He promised to restore a proper balance between the executive and other branches of government on the base of democratic participation and hearing unlike the Bush to abuse executive power. Also, Vice-president to show strong relationship to the Democratic Senate leadership and Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress will make it possible the Obama administration well to maintain the original environmental plan. The passage of greatly increased budget for climate change, clean energy, and other environmental programs will be another important factor to ensure the actual activity of the Obama administration (Vig, p.91-92).

However, given that we now is in 2012, Obama partially accomplished all original environmental policy agenda to focus on sustainable development through long-term strategy even though the positive condition for developing environmental policy had been well set up. Unfortunately, he could not help but concentrate on overcoming urgent economic crisis as Clinton had did so in the latter half of his term, which made it difficult to maintain consistency of the policy. The long-term plan such as environmental policy will need continuous support. Also, the complex and strict separation of authority between federal and state government, and within central government as well as between government, congress, and courts, and various dynamics connected to the environmental policy made the rapid implement of the policy tardy.

Assignment 2-Part 1

• Obama 2011 budget request: EPA

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/01/AR2010020101669.html

Appendix: EPA full budget
http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/budget-proposal/agency-by-agency/budget_2011_epa.pdf


This article shows the perspectives of Barak Obama, Democrat on the environmental policy for clean air by two dimensions; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s total budget and the amount of funding about each program of EPA. According to Vig (2009)’s book, agency budgets are an important part of institutional capacity which affect the extent to which public policies could help to enhance environmental quality, and we can understand the influence or viewpoint of the president on the environmental policy.

The Environmental Protection Agency's budget which increased by 34 percent last year would receive slightly decreased funding in fiscal 2011-from $10.3 billion in 2010 to $10.02 billion next year. However, this budget cut made within the Obama’s tenure is very small and not big to argue that his original approach that environmental problem is top priority and substantial government intervention to the problem is required was changed. On the other hand, the spending of EPA substantially (about 35 percent) declined from 1980 to 2008 in programs such as air pollution control and (about 150 percent) in programs such as land management (Vig, p.16). Especially, during the 1980s, from the mid to late of 1990s and by the Bush administration in the 2000s, the budget reduction was very massive. Taken as a whole, the budget of EPA in the Obama administration relatively very increased in comparison to above period. This budget trend reflects his intention to procure sufficient resources in order to successfully implement the designed environmental policy.

Also, according to the article, “the budget would boost funding for several programs in which the EPA has shown a newly aggressive tone in the past year. It includes $43 million in new funding for efforts to reduce greenhouse gases to threat public health under Clean Air Act”. Namely, Obama as a Democrat is emphasizing to increase the budget for clean air that can improve the public health together.

Obama’s stance on the budget issue is very contradictory to the reaction of Bush, Republican who pursued to decrease funding for environmental programs out to 2013 even before the economic downturn of 2008. The Bush did not prioritize the environmental problem rather than economic development and security. The EPA budget cut that Bush administration presented in 2002 was 6.4 percent and the cut about environmental programs was 8 percent, the largest reduction among all budget section (Vig, p. 87).

I agree to Obama’s approach that clean air can ensure the public health in that environment sector is connected to other domains such as welfare or the quality of life, and the overall expansion of the budget for EPA and environmental programs should be accomplished. This budget change may be flexible because the funding increase of all environmental programs can bring about budget shortage to other sectors of government or tax burden. Therefore, the funding expansion for Chesapeake Bay can be adjustable.

Major environmental issues arising for Haiti recovery

Haiti earthquake event was very shocking to us all.
Particularly, thinking about environmental problem, the impact of the earthquake may be very big as to be pricelss.

According to the article, problems such as medical waste, demolition material, landslides, and hazardous chemicals are expected not to be resolved easily.

I am thinking about which enviromental policy as pre or post step can be relevant to the situation.

http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=608&ArticleID=6454&l=en

Washington area leaders need to tackle Metro's problems together

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/20/AR2010012004694.html
We should examine transporation problem with considering the environmental issues.

Obama's One-Year Environmental Grades Range From 'B+' to 'C-'

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jan2010/2010-01-20-091.html

Good picture