In these times when states are suffering extreme downward pressure on budgets and spending, how is the environment making out? Did it suffer cuts right along with the Program to Assist Millionaires Become Billionaires? Are necessary environmental projects being dropped from the budget together with luxury items just like the statehouse's new Gold-Plated Enforcement Gavel?
And why is the difficulty of environmental protection relevant at the state level? Doesn't the US Environmental Protection Agency handle all that stuff? This text answers these queries and provides good-voting tools for you to help guarantee your surroundings remain green and healthful.
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION AT THE STATE LEVEL
While the US Environmental Protection Agency garners a lot of of the media attention when it comes to environmental enforcement, it is really the states that are carrying most of the load:
" seventy five% of the federal programs that may be delegated to states have been delegated;
" 90% of environmental enforcement actions are taken by the states;
" ninety four% of the info in EPA databases came from the states.
In 2003, states were solely spending 1.four% of their budget on setting and natural resources--an very cheap, in step with Resources for the Future (www.rff.org).
Reducing resources at the state and local levels can cut the heart out of the monitoring and enforcement actions needed to make sure that our air, water, and land--and our bodies--are protected against environmental toxins. Even additional troublesome are elected officers who have a weak commitment to the environment. The back-area deals cut in your governor's mansion, your statehouse, and your county council chambers can have a nice impact on the environment.
STATE-BY-STATE ENVIRONMENTAL VOTING GUIDES
What have YOUR elected local officers been doing to (or for) your state and county environmental agencies, and the way have they voted on environmental issues normally? Did your state legislators fund the widening of the Porkbarrel Parkway whereas downsizing your state's Department of Natural Resources? Find out! Grinning Planet has compiled a list of the best out there environmental voting guides for all fifty US states. Find it at http://www.grinningplanet.com/vote/, along with some other helpful voting tools.
Conjointly, do not forget regarding your county elections. Several necessary problems, such as land use and recycling programs, are sometimes set at the county level. The state-level organizations we tend to list generally feature links to connected county or regional groups. You'll also check with your local chapter of the Sierra Club (www.sierraclub.org) to work out if they need a county-level voting guide.
Author Resource:
Adam has been writing articles online for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in An Environmental Voting Guide for US State Elections
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