Environmental Policies in USA

Question: Identify a policy issue that impacts or interests you. This policy issue can be at the local, state, or federal level, only USA Policy? Answer: Introduction The United States congress has been thriving towards regulating their activities that shall have a positive impact over the environment. The principal goal of the present Obama Government is also to conserve the environment for the future generations and at the same time not to recede the present liberty of the people and the commerce. The White House Office constantly frames policies and engages in agency coordination for undertaking environmental responsibilities (Kraft Furlong, 2004). Obama on Environment Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential elections managed a clear and big lead above his rival on the issues of environment and got the support of all the mainstream environmental groups. Obama also made appointments of people like Steven Chu and this clearly shows that his presidency was very serious about the environmental issues (The Daily Signal, 2015). Clean Power Plan Recently, in the lecture of convocation in a coast guard university in Connecticut, Obama clearly mentioned that climate change is a threat to the national security of the nation and is posing dangers before the police forces (Gregory Korte, 2015). Thus, to protect the change of climate, the Federal Government has made efforts to initiate a Clean Power Plan that sets out standards that are achievable for the reduction in the emissions of carbon dioxide by 32% from 2005 levels by 2030. This plan has set the goals that it intends to achieve and this will enable the states to frame appropriate policies so that the plan can be a success (The White House, 2015). This plan will not only protect the health of the American families but will also endorse in saving the family bills and thus the economy of the country will develop. The President also gave a comprehensive speech on the Clean Power Plan and stated the effectiveness of the plan along with the way it will work. Effectiveness of the Plan This plan is effective because it intends to provide incentives for the states to reduce the emissions of the power plants by the installation of new zero-carbon energy and improvising the efficiency of the fossil fired power plants if they stop using coal and start using natural gas (The White House, 2015). Ethical Standards As far as the ethical standards are concerned, the plan also intends that the economy of the nation shall develop and the environment condition shall at least remain stable if not improvise for the upcoming generations (Theenergycollective.com, 2015). Political and Social Feasibility The plan is also politically and socially feasible because it has been implemented in the federal level and the states have been asked to implement the same in their own levels. The benefits in the form of incentives also ensure social security (Theenergycollective.com, 2015). Equity Measures As far as equity is concerned, the plan will ensure jobs for a large number of unemployed people. The civil rights groups like NAACP were in fact looking for these. The solar energy sector is giving jobs to many people. To pursue the equity factors in the Clean Power Plan roll-out, many models have been framed in different levels (Kamieniecki Kraft, 2007). For instance, the Public Service Commission of New York has created new policies on renewable energy that will give better access to solar power and prioritize energy. Conclusion The plan if implemented in the way it has been discussed will definitely be a success and the goal can be attained much before the deadline. This initiative will not only help the nation but will also be a successful for controlling the pollution levels in the global scenario. The initiative is surely going to be a welcome move for the entire world. References Gregory Korte, U. (2015).Obama: Denying climate change erodes national security.USA TODAY. Retrieved 20 August 2015, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/05/20/obama-climate-change-national-security-coast-guard/27628313/ Kamieniecki, S., Kraft, M. (2007).Business and environmental policy. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. Kraft, M., Furlong, S. (2004).Public policy. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press. The Daily Signal,. (2015).Obama's Dangerous on Climate Change, National Security. Retrieved 20 August 2015, from https://dailysignal.com/2015/05/22/obamas-dangerous-thinking-about-climate-change-and-national-security/ The White House,. (2015).Energy, Climate Change, and Our Environment. Retrieved 20 August 2015, from https://www.whitehouse.gov/energy Theenergycollective.com,. (2015).Clean Power Plan Effectiveness | The Energy Collective. Retrieved 20 August 2015, from https://www.theenergycollective.com/alextrembath/2257778/clearing-air