Phases of Environmental Policy
Human activity began to have a significant impact on the environment during the Industrial Revolution. However, it wasn't until the beginning of the 20th Century that governments began creating policies to prevent environmental degradation.
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Conservation
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In response to the Dustbowl catastrophe of the 1920s and 1930s, the U.S. government encouraged states to adopt soil conservation districts to regulate farm practices. The states enacted laws establishing soil loss limits and education programs to limit the harmful effects of soil erosion.
Legislation
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The 1970s saw another era of environmental regulations in the United States. The Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act created greater restrictions on the amount and types of pollutants that can be discharged.
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Subsidies
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Recently environmental policy has focused on providing economic incentives to discourage environmental degradation. These incentives are commonly referred to as subsidies and include agricultural conservation programs as well as tax credits for conserving energy and producing renewable energy.
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References
- Natural Resources Conservation Service; Conserving the Plains: The Soil Conservation Service in the Great Plains
- EPA: Summary of the Clean Air Act
- EPA: Summary of the Clean Water Act
- Natural Resources Conservation Service; NRCS Conservation Programs
- Ecology Global Network; The Industrial Revolution and Its Impact on Our Environment
- Photo Credit pollution image by Joseph Chiapputo from Fotolia.com
