Environment and the Government

How the government monitors environmental issues

Chapter 27

Three Braches of Government

• Executive

– –

President Cabinet

• Legislative

– –

Senate House of Reps

• Judicial

–

US Supreme + lesser courts

Executive Branch

Chief Executive + Cabinet (Depts of…)

– – – – – – State – Treasury – Defense – Justice

Interior Agriculture Commerce Labor Health & Human Services

–

Housing & Urban Development

– Transportation –

Energy

– Education – Veteran Affairs – Homeland Security –

Environmental Protection (EPA)*

• • • •

Four Key Departments

Dept of Agriculture

– US Forest Service – Soil Conservation Service

Dept of Energy

– Energy Efficiency & Renewables – Radioactive Waste Management – Nuclear Regulation (NRC)

Dept of Health & Human Services

– Centers for Disease Control (CDC) – National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Dept of Interior

– National Park Service (NPS) – Bureau of Land Management (BLM) – US Geological Survey (USGS) – Fisheries & Wildlife – Surface Mining, Reclamation, & Enforcement

• • • •

Other Key Departments

Dept of Housing & Urban Development

– Urban Planning & Parks – Healthy Homes

Dept of Labor

– Mine Safety and Health (MSHA) – Occupational Safety & Health (OSHA)

Dept of Commerce

– National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Environmental Protection Agency

(*Independent)

– Air & Water Pollution – Solid Waste – Toxicity – Pesticides

Legislative Branch

• Originally established cabinet agencies • Goals: – to approve and oversee policy – Create acts • Examples: – Wilderness Act (1964)

“to set aside/protect undeveloped tracts of land”

– Soil Conservation Act (1935)

“gov. pays farmers to reduce production, conserve soil”

Judicial Branch

• Tasks: – Enforce and interpret laws passed by legislative branch

Environmental Legislation

1. Briefly research a ONE environmental piece of legislation.

2. Put together a one-page informational flier for each piece with • Name of Legislation/Act + Year Adopted • • • Name explained (if acronym used) Description of legislation (in your own words) Which unit this year it would BEST fit with • • (See class website for list of units) Illustration themes towards the legislation 2 different resources/URLs used

DUE: TOMORROW START OF CLASS