ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Environmental Issues

Environmental Issues

Introduction

This is a very contradictory question as it can lead to completely different opinions among people. Some people consider that the fundamentals of an American life are more important whereas others would say that protection of the natural environment is more important. For example, use of pesticides are harmful for the consumers of the vegetables, crops sprayed with these chemicals, however, use of pesticides means wealth for the shareholders of these companies, job for the company workers, income for the farmers. Rachel Carson, had argued in her book that whether the present profits of the industry and the current low prices in the vegetable aisle or the future of the birds more important? In recent years regulations have been adopted in America to curb economic freedom in order to guard the environment. Now everyone is educated and people are becoming more and more knowledgeable about ecology and so have the regulations and thereby objections have also increased against such regulations. Since America itself was founded on freedom, all this regulations irritates many people.(Barraza,2002)

Discussion

The government should find ways in which both humans can live harmoniously in nature and can earn profitability as well. In the following analysis the two contradictory factors are whether the environment will improve and the economy will suffer due to the stringent environmental restrictions OR whether there is an environmental crisis and that the brownlash opponents of environmentalism are peddling worthless ideas in the face of facts.

Analysis John Shanahan, vice president of the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution in Arlington, Virginia, argues that many government environmental policies are unreasonable and infringe on basic economic freedoms. He concedes that environmental problems exist but denies that there is no environmental crisis.(Aldine ,1999)The challenge however lies on how to achieve a strong economy and a healthy environment. This issue started when people began to realize that their quality of life was deteriorating and this lead to the encouragement of aggressive policies to reduce pollution. However these policies frequently failed to live up to their sponsors claims and they also became increasingly expensive. These policies have improved the environment in recent years however they have put a big toll in the Americans jobs and their freedom. The environment can be protected without forfeiting the freedoms for which America stands. Therefore the legislators should stress more on the following themes mentioned below:-Focusing on the examples of regulatory abuse, i.e. clearly mentioning that good intentions are accompanied by pointless regulations.

Legislators should focus on how to conserve and efficiently use the natural resources.

Candidates should also point out that some of the regulations set up by the government to improve the environment has created conflicts with the basic economic freedoms of the people.

Environmental objectives can be achieved better by capitalizing on the incentives associated with owning property.

Environmental scientists Paul R. Ehrlich and Anne H. Ehrlich, whose 1974 book The End of Affluence first outlined the consequences of environmental mismanagement, contend that many objections to environmental protections are self-serving and based on bad or misused ...