Environmental Laws

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Environmental Laws
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Lacey Act (1900)
John F. Lacey Father of Conservation
Legislation
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Lacey Act

• Prohibited transportation of illegally captured
  or prohibited animals across state lines
• First law to protect wildlife
• Now mostly used to prevent the spread of
  potentially dangerous non-native invasive species

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Superfund (1980)

• Provides for the EPAs cleanup of illegal toxic
  waste dump sites such as Love Canal and Times
  Beach
• Fines the people/companies for the spill and
  clean up

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Clean Air Act (1963)

• regulated air emissions from area, stationary,
  and mobile sources
• authorized the U.S. Environmental Protection
  Agency to establish National Ambient Air Quality
  Standards (NAAQS)

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Clean Water Act (1977)

• gave EPA the authority to set standards for
  industry
• made it unlawful for any person to discharge any
  pollutant from a point source into navigable
  waters unless a permit (NPDES) is obtained

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Endangered Species Act (1973)

• provided a program for the conservation of
  threatened and endangered plants and animals and
  their habitats
• prohibits killing, harming habitat, or
  transporting any endangered species

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National Environmental Policy Act (1970)

• one of the first laws written to protect the
  environment
• says that all government branches give proper
  consideration to the environment before
  undertaking any federal actions

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CITES- Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (1975)

• an international agreement between governments
• ensures that trade of wild animals does not
  threaten their survival
• only 1 species has become extinct since 1975

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Montreal Protocol (1989)

• treaty designed to protect the ozone layer
• phased out ozone depleting substances, such as
  CFCs

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Kyoto Protocol (1997)

• designed to reduce climate change
• reduces the amount of carbon dioxide emissions
  from signing countries

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Wilderness Act (1964)

• created the National Wilderness Preservation
  System
• defined wilderness in America
• signed by LBJ in 1964

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National Forest Management Act (1976)

• first legislation that discussed the
  administration of national forests
• called for the management of renewable resources
  on national forest land

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The World Conservation Union

• encourages conservation and sustainable use of
  natural resources

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UN Conference on Environment and Development (The
Earth Summit)

• Held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992
• Produced Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration (Earth
  Charter)
• Outlined policies for sustainable development

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Rio Declaration

• 27 principals designed to guide future
  sustainable development around the world

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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

• group of scientists studying climate change and
  its causes

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Law of the Sea

• addresses ocean pollution problems

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Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

• agreement addressing the transport and use of
  genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

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Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

• Allows EPA to identify hazardous waste and set
  standards for their management
• Said that firms have to have permits stating how
  waste is being managed, from manufacture to
  disposal

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Surface Mining and Reclamation Act

• requires mining companies to restore the land so
  it can be used for the same purpose as before it
  was mined

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John Muir (1838 1914)

• patron saint of the American wilderness
• founded the Sierra Club
• got Yosemite to be named a National Park

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Rachel Carson (1907- 1964)

• Wrote The Silent Spring to bring awareness to the
  hazards of DDT. The book is considered the
  beginning of the modern environmental movement

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Garrett Hardin (1915 2003)

• Came up with the idea of the Tragedy of the
  Commons which greatly impacted the management of
  renewable resources

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Case Study 1

• The African Elephant is an endangered species
  which lives in Africa. They have become
  endangered because of the trading of their tusks.
  Name 2 acts that now protect the African Elephant
  and tell me how these acts protect them.

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Case Study 2

• A rural farm gets its water from a nearby well.
  The water in the well is from a stream. The
  fertilizer runoff from the farm often ends up in
  the well water. What 1 acts should be protecting
  the farmer and his family from the fertilizer
  pollution?

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Case Study 3

• The government wants to build a new building for
  its CIA. What 2 acts can/will have an effect on
  their plans? Explain!