Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability 1

LobbyistsLobbyistsLawmaking bodyPublic hearingSpecial interest groupsPublic advisoryRegulating enforcement bodyLaws andregulationsLegal actionLawyersLegal actionLawyersEnvironmentalorganizationsCourtsCorporations andsmall businessLaws andregulationsMembership supportBoycottsIndividualPurchase recyclable,recycled, and environmentallysafe productsRecycle cans,bottles, paper,and plasticPlant agardenDonate clothesand used goodsto charitiesUse water, energy,and otherresources efficientlyUse mass transit,walk, ride a bike,or carpoolFigure 27-4 Greatly simplified overview of how individuals and lobbyists for and against a particularenvironmental law interact with the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government in theUnited States. The bottom of this diagram also shows some ways in which individuals can bring about environmentalchange through their own lifestyles. See the website for this book for details on contactingelected representatives.The judicial branch consists of a complex and layeredseries of courts at the local, state, and federal levels.These courts enforce and interpret different lawspassed by legislative bodies.The major function of the federal government is todevelop and implement policy for dealing with variousissues. Policy is typically composed of laws passed bythe legislative branch, regulations instituted by the executivebranch to put laws into effect, and funding toimplement and enforce the laws and regulations.Figure 27-4 is a greatly simplified overview of how individualsand lobbyists for and against a particular environmentallaw interact with the three branches ofgovernment in the United States. Trace the flows of informationand feedback in this diagram.Several steps are involved in establishing federalenvironmental policy (or any other policy). First, lawmakersmust acknowledge that an environmentalproblem exists and that the government has a responsibilityto address it. Next, an interested party (such asa citizen, a group, a legislator, or the president) createsa bill hoping to pass it into law to deal with the problem.Converting a bill into a law is a complex processthat you can trace in Figure 27-5 (p. 614). An importanthttp://biology.brookscole.com/miller14613