Environmental Policies

Environment: The habitat, surroundings, or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives and operates

Policy: A course or principle of action adopted or proposed by a government, party, business, or individual.

Together, Environmental Policy is a policy area that is broad and refers to the laws and regulations regarding the environment. The area's width ranges all the way from energy to endangered animals to building pipelines. The general principle throughout all of all environmental policy though is that policies are put in place when problems arise from human impact. 

Environmental policies can go as deep as to regulate what birds can and cannot be hunted, or as shallow as a a general no releasing of chemicals. 

The most noticed environmental issues that have policy are:

air pollution

water pollution

solid waste

habitat management

biodiversity maintenance

natural resources

toxins

energy

endangered species

conservation & preservation

What is your opinion on current environmental policy?

The North Carolina General Assembly has dedicated itself to making sure the rules and laws that govern the state’s environmental regulatory authorities are responsible, safe and do not adversely affect commerce, private property rights or the ability to attract new businesses. Unfortunately, our general statutes and departmental rules have become politicized and we have been working these last four years to make sure those laws and rules are based on science and are necessary for the health of our environment. I am supportive of the work we have done so far, but will continue to make sure any law or rule that is unnecessary is stricken from our statutes.

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Do you think there is any specific area or anything overall that could use more implementation or policy regarding?

As we continue to invest time and resources into energies that can be mined, we will have to make sure our laws—both environmental and legal—protect the people of North Carolina while allowing for the tremendous job creation energy exploration creates.

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What is your opinion on Obama’s proposed environmental policy and why?

a.      policy regarding power plants limiting carbon emission

Unfortunately, the President’s policies are not based on hard science; instead they are created to make a certain political base happy. One example of this is the carbon credits. North Carolina has done a fantastic job of earning carbon credits by shutting down old coal power plants and building new plants that (1) include technologies that greatly reduce carbon emissions and (2) can have one new plant replace five old ones. His policies would adversely affect states like North Carolina that have done the work of reducing their carbon emissions by enacting unobtainable standards and quotas.

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What do you think of the Keystone XL legislation and Obama’s take on the matter?   (“Our national interest will be served only if this project does not significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution.")

Again, this is an example where political favoritism has taken science hostage. Even President Obama's former Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, is now a proponent of the pipeline now that he is no longer in a Cabinet position.

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With the upcoming shift in parties within the Senate, do you think that the amount of policies involving the environment will increase/decrease? Why do you feel this way and what’s your stand on the matter?

As a state senator, my greatest concern regarding the federal government is the sovereignty of North Carolina. If the upcoming Senate decides to decrease environmental regulations, I hope they will take into account that the best administrators of a state’s environmental regulations are the lawmakers at the state level.

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Are there any proposed bills regarding Climate Change at the moment that you feel strongly about and why?

Any climate change regulations that call on the United States to sacrifice production while other countries are allowed to emit carbon freely are terrible policies in my opinion. The federal government should only be working on resolutions and laws that keep our businesses competitive with the global community.

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Is there proposed environmental policy on subjects beyond climate change that you feel are important or will become important?

What is your opinion on current environmental policy?

  Do you think there is any specific area or anything overall that could use more implementation or policy regarding?

  What is your opinion on Obama’s proposed environmental policy and why?

policy regarding power plants limiting carbon emission

  What do you think of the Keystone XL legislation and Obama’s take on the matter?   (“Our national interest will be served only if this project does not significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution.")

  With the upcoming shift in parties within the Senate, do you think that the amount of policies involving the environment will increase/decrease? Why do you feel this way and what’s your stand on the matter?

  Are there any proposed bills regarding Climate Change at the moment  that you feel strongly about and why?

Climate Change: The White House has release a Climate Change Adaption Plan where it is discussed how the EPA will integrate considerations of climate change into programs. 

Alternative Energy vs. Oil: The US Department of Energy is currently working to reduce energy use, but increase the use of renewable energy. Their main target is the federal government because they are currently this highest consumers on energy.

Fracking: Fracking is legal in the US and as long as natural gas extraction does not come at the expense of the public’s health and the environment, it is fine due to natural gas being part of a clean future.

Climate Change: Climate change ins't necessarily caused by humans; studies show that as a change in climate is normal over a period of time. Because of this, all of the regulations and spending going toward carbon emission, thinking that this change is permanent, is only costing us Americans more money in the long run.

Alternative Energy vs. Oil: Opposite of a liberal's opinion, conservatives believe that there are still more resources to use, and in plentiful amounts. If anything, more drilling should be done on U.S. territory because that would decrease prices and federal spending as well as reliance on other countries.

Fracking: Despite what people might say, fracking is not dangerous and has no link to water contamination. For over 70 years it has been done safely and with nothing more harmful that household cleaners. Made up of 99% sand and water, the remaining blend is the same products found in your everyday cleaner.

Climate Change: The U.S. is responsible for about 25% of the world's carbon emissions so the national government needs to take it into their own hands. The federal government needs to legislate and enforce more restrictions on the emissions of industries and other major polluters. 

Alternative Energy vs. Oil: Alternative energy should be a major priority of the national government as far as funding. When all of the crude oil depletes the nation needs to be prepared to have other major sources of energy. The uses of alternative energy will also prove to be a great impact on helping the nation's economy.

Fracking: Fracking is a major danger to both the environment and to the citizens of the United States. This process is connecting to major contamination of surrounding groundwater due to the toxic chemicals that are involved. The regulation on this method also needs to be more heavily pushed in order for the industry not to nonchalantly do their job (like some have claimed they have been).

Administrator: Gina McCarthy

Acting Deputy Administrator: Stan Meiburg

Established on December 2, 1970 through President Nixon's executive order, the EPA was formed to consolidate a variety of federal research, monitoring, standard-setting, and enforcement activities to ensure environmental protection. Since the initial opening, the EPA has been advocating for a cleaner, healthier environment for the American population. 

The EPA now works to ensure that all Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment in which they live. Rules and regulations they enforce are based on laws passed by Congress.

The Department of State from TransCanada was presented with a proposed pipeline that would run from the Canadian border to connect to a pipeline in Texas (about 2,000 miles). Giant oil corporations are counting on this to benefit from Canada's tar sands to make more profit. The expansion of the pipeline has been trying to get approved many times in Congress and has failed again on Tuesday by being one vote short in the Senate. The new shift in Congress means that this certainly won't be the last time we hear about this legislation