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Politics, Environment, and Sustainability 24 Politics, Environment, and Sustainability 24 Denis Hayes—A Practical C O R E C A S E S TUDY Environmental Visionary As a college student, Denis Hayes (Figure 24-1) took some time logical principles and sustainable technologies. Hayes’s to explore the world on foot. He had studied ecology and politi- goal is to use the resources of the foundation to help make cal science in college, and one day he grabbed his backpack, the U.S. Pacific Northwest a global model for more sustainable filled it with books, and started traveling to see “what was actu- development. ally going on” in the countries he had studied. At age 25, Hayes was enrolled in the Kennedy School of One night while hitch-hiking in Africa, he rested on a hill- Government at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts side and started to put together what he had learned and what (USA), at the same time that Senator Gaylord Nelson of the state he had seen. He thought about how the principles of ecology of Wisconsin was organizing environmental teach-ins on college apply to everything from amoeba to orangutans. Sometime campuses. Hayes approached Nelson about organizing such an shortly after that, Hayes decided to spend his life figuring out event at Harvard, and later the senator asked Hayes to organize how human societies could benefit from organizing themselves an event for the whole country. around ecological principles. He has said:“Pretty much from What started out as a plan for a number of teach-ins became birth, I had an awareness of that awesome natural beauty being Earth Day—April 22, 1970—thought of by many analysts as the torn apart by industrial processes.” beginnning of the modern environmental movement. That day Denis Hayes is currently president and CEO of The Bullitt involved teach-ins and much more—thousands of public dem- Foundation of Seattle, Washington (USA). The foundation seeks onstrations focused on pollution, toxic waste, nuclear power, to deal with key environmental problems in the U.S. Pacific coal mining, lead contamination, and other urgent environmen- Northwest by focusing on urban ecological issues and on restor- tal issues. More than 20 million people took part. Later, Hayes ing and protecting ecosystem services in the surrounding envi- worked on building the Earth Day Network, which now includes ronment. It also seeks to harness the entrepreneurial power of more than 180 nations. As a result, each year, Earth Day is now business to create competitive industries that are based on eco- celebrated globally. Hayes has held an incredible variety of important environ- mental positions. Since the first Earth Day, he has worked as an environmental lobbyist, a member of an interdisciplinary research organization, a researcher for the Worldwatch Institute, the head of the U.S. Solar Energy Research Institute, a professor of energy and resource studies at the University of California at Santa Cruz, and director of the Illinois State Energy Office. He helped to found Green Seal, one of the most respected eco- labeling programs, and has won many national and international awards (Figure 24-1). In terms of lessons learned, Hayes has this to say about one of the most important ones: “Democracy works when people are paying attention to the facts. Earth Day, once we got people to focus their attention on the issues, produced a tidal wave of public support for smart, cost-effective legislation that dramati- cally improved the environment.” Denis Hayes is a person who Courtesy of Denis Hayes/The Bullitt Foundation has made, and is still making, a difference. In this chapter, we look at how politics can have harmful and Figure 24-1 Denis Hayes has focused his energy on helping people to beneficial effects on the environment. We examine how politics pay more attention to ecological principles in deciding what policies they support and in taking political action to support sustainability. He has and environmental science interact. And we consider how any received numerous awards, including the Jefferson Medal for Outstand- and all of us can make a difference by becoming involved in ing Public Service and the highest awards given by the Sierra Club, the these processes. Humane Society of the United States, and the Global Environmental Facility of the World Bank. In 2008, the Audubon Society listed him as one of the 100 Environmental Heroes of the Twentieth Century. Key Questions and Concepts 24-1 What is the role of government in making the 24-4 What are the major roles of environmental transition to more sustainable societies? groups? CON c E P T 2 4 - 1 Through its policies, a government can help to CON c E P T 2 4 - 4 Grassroots groups are growing and combining protect environmental and public interests, and to encourage more their efforts with those of large environmental organizations in a environmentally sustainable economic development. global sustainability movement. 24-2 How is environmental policy made? 24-5 How can we improve global environmental CON c E P T 2 4 - 2 A Policy making involves enacting laws, funding security? programs, writing rules, and enforcing those rules with government CON c E P T 2 4 - 5 Environmental security is necessary for oversight—a complex process that is affected at each stage by economic security and is at least as important as national security. political processes. CON c E P T 2 4 - 2 B Individuals can work together to become part 24-6 How can we implement more sustainable and of political processes that influence how environmental policies are just environmental policies? made and whether or not they succeed. (Individuals matter.) CON c E P T 2 4 - 6 Making the transition to more sustainable societies will require that nations and groups within nations 24-3 What is the role of environmental law in cooperate and make the political commitment to achieve this dealing with environmental problems? transition. CON c E P T 2 4 - 3 We can use environmental laws and regulations to help control pollution, set safety standards, encourage resource conservation, and protect species and ecosystems. Note: Supplements 2 (p. S3), 3 (p. S6), and 8 (p. S30) can be used with this chapter. You see things, and you say “Why?” But I dream things that never were; and I say “Why not?” GeORge BeRNaRd ShaW 24-1 What Is the Role of Government in Making the Transition to More Sustainable Societies? ▲ CONcEPT 24-1 Through its policies, a government can help to protect environmental and public interests, and to encourage more environmentally sustainable economic development. Government Can Serve result in harm to people or to the environment. Achiev- Environmental and ing the right balance between free enterprise and gov- ernment regulation is not easy. Too much government Other Public Interests intervention can strangle enterprise and innovation. Too Business and industry thrive on change and innovations little can lead to environmental degradation and social that lead to new technologies, products, and opportu- injustices, and even to a weakening of the government nities for profits. This process, often referred to as free by business interests and global trade policies. Explore enterprise, can lead to higher living standards for many More: See a Case Study at www.cengage.com/login people, but it can also create harmful impacts on other to learn about global trade and the environment. people and on the environment. Analysts point out that in today’s global economy, Government on the other hand, especially demo- some multinational corporations, which often have cratic government working in the interest of the pub- budgets larger than the budgets of many countries, have lic, can act as a brake on business enterprises that might greatly increased their economic and political power refers to the Core refers to the book’s GOOD refers to good news about the 638 Links: NEWS Case Study. sustainability theme. environmental challenges we face. over national, state, and local governments, and ordi- clean air and groundwater, and the ozone layer in nary citizens. However, businesses can also serve envi- the stratosphere. This is also the case in a cap-and- ronmental and public interests. Green businesses create trade market approach to solving a problem such as products and services that help to sustain or improve air pollution (see Chapter 18, pp. 486–487), because environmental quality while improving people’s lives. government oversight is necessary to administer They make up one of the world’s fastest growing busi- such a program. ness sectors and are an increasing source of new jobs. Many argue that government is the best mecha- The roles played by a government are determined nism for dealing with some of the broader economic by its policies—the set of laws and regulations it enacts and political issues we face, some of which we have dis- and enforces, and the programs it funds (Concept 24-1). cussed in this book. These include: Politics is the process by which individuals and groups try to influence or control the policies and actions of • Full-cost pricing (see Chapter 23, pp. 622–623): gov- governments at local, state, national, and international ernments can provide subsidies and levy taxes that levels. One important application of this process is the have the effect of adding harmful environmental development of environmental policy—environmen- and health costs to the market prices of some goods tal laws and regulations that are designed, implemented, and services. and enforced, and environmental programs that are • Market failures (see Chapter 23, p. 616): govern- funded by one or more government agencies. ments can use taxes and subsidies to level the play- According to social scientists, the development of ing field wherever the marketplace is not operat- public policy in democracies often goes through a pol- ing freely due to unfair advantages held by some icy life cycle consisting of four stages illustrated in Fig- players.
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