Enviornmental law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Enviornmental law - Coursework Example The Earth Day 1970 marked a turning point in the Americans’ awareness about the environmental problems. The Congressional enactment of the Clean Air Act that year, just a few months after the Earth Day was a great landmark. These amendments moved the environmental protection concerns to a prominent position on Capitol Hill where it remained to date (Paul, 1990). The fact that the Earth Day and the 1970 amendments took place almost at the same time was no accident. The amendments of this law actually took place as a result of Congress’s response to the long time public concern about the environmental pollution which was symbolized by the Earth Day demonstrations. Through the public pressure, the Congress then went through a rush to come up with the legislation that would ensure protection against pollution. The original version of this Act which was passed by the U.S Congress in 1970 was fairly straightforward. This placed the EPA in charge of monitoring and improving th e nation’s air quality. Under this Act, the EPA had the power to establish research programs, set clean air standards, enforce regulations, and provide technical and financial assistance to state and local government efforts towards reducing air pollution. This Act also directed the EPA to establish the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) that could be useful in controlling emissions of a number of substances that threatened air quality. The NAAQS then divided pollutants into 2 categories, with the first category consisting of those that directly affect human health, and the second category included those that affected human welfare. This Act underwent significant changes and amendments in 1990. The revisions specifically targeted acid rain, with the aim of reducing emissions sulfur dioxide and Nitrogen Oxides by half. There were also new limits to ozone which is the main contributor to smog in urban areas. Some of the benefits associated with this Act include, but not limited to; 160,000 premature deaths avoided, 130,000 heart attack cases avoided, millions of acute respiratory cases avoided and also avoided 86,000 hospital admissions. It prevented 13 million lost workdays, kept kids healthy and in school avoiding 3.2 million lost school days. Between 1970 and 2011, the aggregate emissions of common air pollutants dropped by 68% while at the same time, the U.S gross domestic product grew by 212% (EPA, Benefits and Costs of the Clean Air Act, 2012). This Act has over the years, since it was passed, created a lot of economic impact in the Americans’ society. To begin with, there has been a dramatic reduction in air pollution rates that has protected the health of many American workers and their families. This is evident by fewer premature deaths and illness which shows that Americans experience longer lives, better quality of life, lower medical expenses, reduced school absences, and better work productivity. This means that the Act has been a good investment for Americans. It is evident that since 1970, cleaner air and growing of the economy has gone hand in hand. The pollution has since reduced by up to -72% while the economy has grown up to +219% as shown by the EPA. The data show the tremendous change that has resulted due to the implementation of the Act up to 2012 (EPA, 2012). The graphs were retrieved from the United States Environmental Protection Agency site at http://www.epa.gov/air/caa/ From the data above, one can easily deduce that the Act has greatly

UK Government and Measures to Reduce the Alcohol Consume Essay

UK Government and Measures to Reduce the Alcohol Consume - Essay Example The article observes that none of the low-priced alcohol brands would have increased their prices within the new legislations.   Many of these products are on offer on major supermarkets such as Tesco which has such offers as 24 cans of Fosters that goes for a mere 10 pounds or even 3 fifteen packs of Strongbow cider being sold at 20 pounds. The minimum pricing policy is accompanied by VAT additions which the government hopes will help curb the norm of excessive drinking in UK.From this study it is clear that many see that the government efforts at setting minimum prices for alcoholic products will only solve half of the problem because there are many alcohol companies which have the capacity to produce alcoholic beverages at the set price and still rake in millions in profits. All that the legislation is doing to the market is removing any form of competition for the established manufacturers and distributors. Setting minimum prices will not effectively stop people from buying and sometimes, overindulging in alcohol.  In the mixed economy, resources are owned by both the government on behalf of the public, and the private sector.   It is the public sector which intervenes According to economics, the concept of scarcity implies that resources are scarce or limited. The resources that are available are not enough to satisfy the needs of everyone concerned. For instance, if someone’s income is limited, it means that he cannot buy everything that he wants.... All that the legislation is doing to the market is removing any form of competition for the established manufacturers and distributors. Setting minimum prices will not effectively stop people from buying and sometimes, overindulging in alcohol.   2. Explain why, in a mixed economy, the concepts of scarcity and opportunity cost are important for governments. Illustrate your answer with examples. Also explain reasons why governments tax goods like alcohol, cigarettes and petrol. Use economic concepts in your answer. In the mixed economy, resources are owned by both the government on behalf of the public, and the private sector.   It is the public sector which intervenes According to economics, the concept of scarcity implies that resources are scarce or limited. The resources that are available are not enough to satisfy the needs of everyone concerned. For instance, if someone’s income is limited, it means that he cannot buy everything that he wants. Opportunity cost on the other hand is a measure of the cost of a certain choice, or what is refereed in economics to as the next best alternative forgone. For a person whose income is limited, he has to choose between different alternatives so that he can make good use of his limited income (Ward and Forker, 1993). In a mixed economy, opportunity cost is important for governments as it enables them to make strategic decision to control the market in a way that is likely to be more beneficial than the other. The concept of scarcity enables the government to plan and deliver its resources in the way it sees fit in order to meet as many of the market demands as possible. In the mixed