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ProfessorAlexandratosNovember17th,2009

FulfillingOurResponsibility

DiscussingtheImpactofVolunteer

OrganizationsinEnvironmentalProtection

CHC200,BySameerKhan

TheEnvironmentalProtection

Agency(EPA)wasestablishedin1970

underRichardNixon’spresidency.

Moreenvironmentallegislationsoon

followed.Stricterrulesregulating

industrywereapprovedthroughout

the70sand80s.TheCleanWaterAct,

ResourceConservationandRecovery

Act,andtheHazardousWaste

ManagementProgramarmedtheEPA

withtheabilitytomonitorhazardous

wasteproducingfacilities,and

prosecutecompaniesthatviolated

nationallimits.Whenthelawswere

firstpassed,fewforesawtheobstacles

theagencywouldfaceinenforcement.

Orperhaps,someunderstoodthe

limitationsoftheEPA,andpreferred

thattheyremainthere.Regardless,

environmentalprotectionand

remediationhasfrequentlyresidedon

thebottomofanyonePresident’s

agenda.Thereinliestheflaw.There

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hasneverbeenasustainedmovement

tocleanourwaterorutilizeour

resourcesinamoreefficientway.

Thisconsistenttendencytodeferour

attentiontoforeignaffairs,the

economy,andcivilrightshasresulted

inadepletedgovernmentally

supportedenvironmentalagency.

Simplysaid,wehavenotmadethe

necessaryeconomicinvestmentto

provideforaneffectiveone.TheEPA

facesshortagesateveryturn.Their

lawyersareforcedtosettlemostof

theircases.TheExxonMobilcourt

disputeoverthepast20years

highlightsthedistinctdisadvantage

theEPAfaces.Onlylastmonth,ajury

awardedthecity$105milliondollars,

findingthecorporategiantliablefor

watercontamination.Yet,evennow,

ExxonMobillawyersexploremore

“legaloptions.”

Corporationshaveaseemingly

limitlesssupplyofmoneycompared

totheEPAwhoseresourcesare

stretchedthin.Whichcasesthen,

shouldtheagencypursue?Toomany

companiesrecognizetherestraintson

theEPA,andexploitthem.Thelackof

reinforcementfromlawmakers

suggestsourowngovernmenthas

failedtoproperlyprotectourown

ecosystems.Inthisseemingvoidof

inactiveness,volunteerandnon-

governmentalorganizationshave

risen.Attheforefrontof

environmentalpreservation,are

commonAmericanswhorecognize

thesignificanceofestablishing

equilibriumbetweenblind

consumerismandhabitat

maintenance.Theirstrugglesand

accomplishmentshaveoftenbeen

dismissedasminiscule,butthe

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combinedeffort,hashadanenormous

impact.

TheNaturalResourcesDefense

Council(NRDC)isasoldastheEPA

itself.Theorganizationwasfoundin

1970byagroupoflawstudentsand

attorneys.Today,boastingover1.2

millionmembers,theorganizationhas

astaffofover3oolawyers,scientists,

andpolicyexperts.1Amongthe

organization’smostimportanttasksis

theassistancetheyhaveprovidedfor

congressmenandsenatorsinsupport

ofenvironmentallegislation.Special

interestgroupsdominatemuchof

Americanpolitics.Whetherone

favorsordisfavorsthissystem,we

mustacceptitasfact.Tosetatone

thatpropelsenvironmentalactivism

forsustainedperiodsoftimeinour

CongressandSenate,weneed

environmentallobbygroupsaswell.

1http://www.nrdc.org/about/who_we_are.asp

TheNRDChasgrowntoserve

thisverypurpose.Membersworked

tirelesslyforChairmanoftheEnergy

andCommerceCommittee,

CongressmenHenryWaxmanin

promotionoftheAmericanClean

Energy&SecurityAct.

CongressmenWaxmanaddressingmembersofthehouse.

Theactmandatesamore

elaboratecapandtradesystem,which

wouldimposeharsherregulationson

companies,andprovidestronger

incentivetoinnovatemoreefficient

methodsofusingresources2.Oneof

2http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090724/hr2454_housesummary.pdf

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theprovisionsdemandselectricity

providerstosupplyatleast20%of

theirenergyfromrenewablesources3.

Yet,thisisonlyoneofmanynew

requirementsinsistingonmoreeco-

friendlyindustries.InJuneof2009,

thebillpassedthehouseina

remarkablyclose219-212vote.

Currently,issuesofhealthcarereform

havepreventedadirectattemptfrom

theSenatetofurtheraddressthe

issue.However,pressurefrom

numerousenvironmentalgroups,

includingtheNRDChavebeencritical

inallowingpassagethroughthe

SenateEnvironmentandPublicWorks

Committeeveryrecently.

NRDC:Realizing

theIssuesGlobalwarmingisoneofthe

mostpressingissuesofthisdecade.

3Stone,Andy,AWinnerintheNewClimateLegislation,June24th,2009,Forbes

Thecontinuouspumpingofcarbon

dioxideintotheenvironmentis

meltingpolarcaps,rapidlyaltering

ecosystems,andforcingtheextinction

ofspecies.

MeltingpolaricecapsinAntarctic

Beyondtheirworkwith

legislators,theNRDCsupports

hundredsofscientificstudies

annually.Thesefactsserveasthe

foundationtogreaterenvironmental

education,awareness,andaction.In

March2008,theNRDCreleaseda

report,outliningresearchindicating

thattemperatureswereincreasingin

theWesternUnitedStatesmore

quicklythananyotherpartofthe

world.Thestudyrevealedthatfrom

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WyomingwesttotheColoradoRiver

basin,andthendownSouthto

Arizona,theaverageincreasein

temperatureoverthepast5years

comparedtothe20thcentury,had

been2.0degreesFahrenheit.Globally,

theaveragetemperaturehadclimbed

1.0degreeFahrenheit 4.Suchastark

differenceinlocalversusglobal

climatechangewasalarming.Further

studiesrevealedthatalthough1.0

degreeFahrenheitmayseem

insignificant,theeffectswerewidely

noticeable.Thepictureabove

manifestsapatternthathasbeen

observedacrossWesternpartsofthe

country.Thewhite“bathtubrings”

aboveshowthepre-droughtwater

levelofLakePowellinArizona.The

rapiddecreasesexperiencedbythe

Lakeinwaterlevelsoverrelatively

shortperiodsoftimehavealteredthe

4ClimateFacts,HotterandDrier:TheWest’sChangingClimate.

ecosystem,fragmentingthebalance

thatonceexisted.

LakePowell,Arizona

Globalwarmingis

detrimentallyaffectingthealready

scarcewatersupplyintheseareas.

Snowonmountainpeaksisthe

region’sgreatestsourceof

precipitation.Risingtemperatures

haveleadtoadeclineinsnowfalland

all-timelowsinsummerwaterflow.

Inthestudy,theNRDCclarifiesthat

thesetrendsarenotlimitedtosmall

regions.ForestsinCaliforniaare

strugglingtosurviveashigher

temperatureshaveforceddryer

climatesincreasingforestfires.

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problemsbutalsodesigningsolutions

forthem.TheNRDCisusing

scientists,policyexperts,and

economiststodeviseplansthatcanbe

adoptedevenasthegovernment

climbsoutofarecession.The

organization’sgoalsarerealisticand

long-term.NRDC’spolicycapitalizes

onasystemof“capandinvest.5”The

NRDCrecognizesthatpollution

allowancesalescanbeoptimallyused

tograduallyrestructuretheAmerican

economyfromitspresentstateof

environmentalnegligencetoonethat

isresourceefficientandplacesthe

UnitedStatesasagloballeaderin

greentechnologyandinnovation.In

attemptingtoaddressallaspectstoan

environmentalreformation,theNRDC

hasdevelopedaseriesof

5http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/cap2.0/default.asp

recommendationsincreatingeffective

climatelegislation.

NRDCGlobalWarmingSolutionRecommendations

1.SetlimitsonGlobalwarming

pollutants

2.Investingreenjobsandenergy

3.Drivesmartercars

4.Creategreenhomesandbuildings

5.Buildbettercommunitiesand

transportationnetworks.

Theseguidelinesseemvery

general.Inactualitytheproblemisfar

morecomplex.Togointofulldetailof

theNRDC’splanwouldrequire

anotherpaperitself.However,itis

clearthatNRDCpolicyexpertshave

adoptedagradualapproach.Onein

whichnoticeableresultswilltakeup

to20yearstorealize.Theproposal

requiresapoliticalagendawithinour

governmentthatactivelypursuesto

alleviateourcurrentenvironmental

conditionforlong-standingperiods.

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Makingasuccessfuleconomic

transitionisoneofthegreatest

uncertainties.Policyexpertsand

economistsattheNRDCbelieveitis

possibleonlyifwestartearlyenough.

Tofurtherreinforcetheir

policy,theCouncilinvestigatedthe

successofcurrentearlyrenewable

energyinvestments.Smallchangesin

industryarealreadyoccurring.In

TexasandMissourinewcompanies

thatharnesswindenergyaregrowing,

offeringjobstoprevioussteelmill

workersandtechnicians.

WindMillsinCentralTexas

InPennsylvania,ahybridcar

companyhiredhundredsofworkers

laidofffromfactoriesduringthe

recession.TheNRDChasdiscovered

thatevenwhenasmallsectorof

energyprovidersdirectstheir

attentiontogreenenergy,thereisan

explosionofjobs.Datacollectedby

researchersrevealsthatthenumber

ofcleanenergyjobsgrewtwoandhalf

timesfasterthanjobgrowthinthe

economyaswholeduringthepast

decade6.Greenjobspaylivingwages

andrequireworkersfromevery

socioeconomicbackground.Thiskind

ofinformationisamongthenecessary

toolstoinitiateenduringandeffectual

legislation.

Oneofthegreatestobstacles

forestallingastrongerenvironmental

effortisthelackofmassinvolvement

onthelevelofordinaryAmerican

citizens.ThepresidentoftheNatural

ResourcesDefenseCouncil,Francis

Beinecke,hasidentifiedtheissueas

oneofNRDC’shighestpriorities.In

6http://www.nrdc.org/energy/greenjobs/

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attemptingtoaddressthegrowing

quandary,staffandmembersare

employingamulti-facetedapproachto

embracealargerpopulationof

concernedcitizens,whopreviously,

werenotawareofhowtomakean

impact.In2001,theBioGems

initiativewaslaunched.Thegoalwas

simple;harnessthepowerofcitizen

activismtopreservetheinvaluable

remnantsofwildlifeintheUnited

States7.TheNRDCfocusesmore

heavilyonwildlifehabitatsthatare

themostsusceptiblesuchas,

protectingoldforestsfrom

deforestationorpristinecoastlines

fromindustrialports8.Oneofthe

mostdynamicaspectsofthis

movementisthatitcapitalizeson

usingtheInternet,allowingpeopleto

contribute,withouthavingtoleave

theiroffice.Thesuccessofthe

7http://www.savebiogems.org/about/8ibid.,

initiativehasbeenmind-blowing.

Whetheritissomethingassimpleas

donatingtendollarstogrowatree,

writingalettertothoseinchargein

theObamaadministration,orjust

sharinginformationwiththoseclose

toyou,theNRDCutilizesthelatest

technologicaladvancementstomake

itconvenientandeasytobeinvolved.

Thisisnotaminutefeat.Information

cannotspreadwhenthemedium

throughwhichitisintroducedto

peopleistooantiquated.TheNRDC

broughttheenvironmentalmovement

uptospeed.Theeffectivenessof

theirapproachisimminent.In

Januaryof2009,asaresultof

thousandsofletterssenttoajudgeby

students,teachers,farmers,andother

membersoftheinitiativeanda

lawsuitfiledbytheNRDC,afederal

judgeruledthat110,000acresofUtah

wildernesswouldbeprotectedfrom

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oilcompanies.Thisislandthatthe

BushAdministrationhadpreviously

heldapublicauctionfor.

UtahwildernesspreservedbyBiogems

Similarvictoriesarebeing

reportedaroundthecountry.Whatis

mostimpressiveisthatthemovement

hasleakedintoaninternationally

supportedone.InDecemberof2008,

20,000messagesweresentfrom

NRDCmemberstotheChilean

governmenttopreventconsideration

ofamega-damthatwouldbe

ecologicallydevastating.Chilean

officialssubmittedtothepressure,

agreeingtodelayfurther

considerationforatleastninemonths.

Theseactionscanbeemulated,and

theresults,amplified.Weneeda

moresignificantnumberofpeopleto

begincontributing.Schoolsareoneof

thebestplacesstart.

Educationisnecessary.

Historyrepeatedlyinformsusthatthe

mostimportantissuesoftendonot

gaintractionuntilanextensive

portionofthepopulationisawareof

theproblemandthedirecteffectson

them.Thereisnegligible

environmentaleducationinschools.

Wecannotexpectanaroused

environmentalcampaignwhenthe

pillarssupportingsuchaframework

arenonexistent.Unfortunately,asa

non-governmentalorganization,the

NRDCislimitedintheinfluencethey

canhaveinschools.Legislationand

policyproposalsaretheonlysourceof

animpactfulamendmenttoour

currenteducationcurriculum.

Beyondthescopeofgovernmentally

institutededucationsystems,the

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similarlyoperatessuchthat

politicianswhobestmeettheir

constituentsneedsgetreelected.The

conclusionisabasicone.Theregular

Americancitizenactuallydictatesthe

outcome.However,withouteducation

wecannotproperlyutilizethesetools.

ThechallengesovercomebytheNRDC

andmultiplenon-governmental

organizationsservetoremindusof

thepower“people”possesswhen

unitedtowardsmeetingessential

goals.