SCI200 Strayer University Week 10 Environmental Policy

Assignment 2: Environmental Policy

Due Week 10 and worth 120 points

There are several environmental laws, regulations, and policies that
currently influence your life, and they include the following:

• NEPA
• The Clean Air Act
• The Clean Water Act
• The Endangered Species Act
• The Superfund
• CITES
• The Montreal Protocol
• The Basel Convention

Choose one (1) of these environmental regulations, or another policy
that interests you; then, research your chosen regulation or policy’s
requirements and environmental and economic impacts.

Write a three to five (3-5) page paper in which you:

1. Describe three (3) key elements of the regulation or policy you
   chose. Specifically, discuss who is affected and what actions they are
   required to undertake, including federal and state agencies and specific
   industries, and how these requirements are enforced.
2. Assess three (3) effects this regulation or policy had on our
   environment. Next, quantify its effects, if possible, to analyze whether
   or not the regulation had the desired effect on the environment.
3. Discuss three (3) economic effects of your chosen policy or
   regulation. Next, describe the direct costs of implementation, as well
   as the effect the regulation has had on economic growth. If possible,
   find a benefits/cost analysis that will provide you with objective
   analyses of this regulation’s economic impact.
4. Speculate whether or not you believe that this policy or regulation
   has been successful overall. Next, debate whether or not your chosen
   policy or regulation has promoted environmental benefits or outweighed
   its economic costs. Lastly, determine whether you would recommend
   renewing this policy or regulation when it comes to its expiration date,
   or whether you should let the policy or regulation expire. Justify your
   response.
5. Use at least three (3) quality resources / references in this
   assignment, in addition to the course text. Note: Wikipedia and personal
   blogs do not qualify as quality resources.
6. Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• • This course requires use of new Strayer Writing Standards (SWS).
    The format is different than other Strayer University courses. Please
    take a moment to review the SWS documentation for details.
  • Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12),
    with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow
    SWS format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
  • Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, your
    name, your professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover
    page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment
    page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Assess the various methods used to understand natural phenomena and
  the human impact on it, and analyze the steps taken to protect the
  environment.
• Analyze factors influencing the use and conservation of environmental resources.
• Analyze the effect of human populations on various ecosystems,
  including agriculture, urbanization, waste management, and pollution.
• Critically evaluate sources of information about environmental science and communicate them effectively.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in environmental science.
• Write clearly and concisely about environmental science using proper writing mechanics.

Discussion

“Environmental Policy and Sustainability” Note: Online students please respond to one (1) of the following three (3) bulleted options:

• Explain two (2) reasons as to whether or not you believe
  sustainability is an attainable objective. Next, determine two (2)
  barriers currently in place that make achieving sustainability
  difficult. Propose one (1) alternative that can be used in place of
  sustainability.

• Name one (1) environmental policy described in Chapter 16 that you
  believe was most successful. Next, state two (2) drawbacks of your
  chosen policy then speculate on two (2) potential lessons that could be
  drawn from your selected policy that could be used to improve future
  environmental policies. Justify your response.

• Describe three (3) ways that environmental policies can be
  implemented and enforced. Next, in your own words, identify the roles of
  the following branches when dealing with environmental policies:
  legislative, executive, and judiciary. Lastly, which branch do you
  believe has the most power in implementing and enforcing environmental
  policies in the United States? Justify your response.