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"Aren't poverty and need the biggest polluters?," asked Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at the 1972 Stockholm Conference on Human Environment. Half a century later, environmentalists, journalists, politicians, and academics interpret the speech to their liking. We contextualize and juxtapose this historical speech vis-à-vis environmental policies, programs, and campaigns enacted under Gandhi's leadership. A reassessment of these debates opens possibilities beyond the polarized arguments that pit "the environment" against "development" within contemporary global environmental governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy vehicles such as the 2001 Data Quality Act and the Trump Administration "Transparency" rule inappropriately conflate this simplistic model of science with the integrated multi-disciplinary assessments (see Figure 2) that are necessary to inform real-life environmental policy interventions.(Adapted from Helmenstine 2021, note 28.) PHOTO (COLOR): Figure 2. The Scientific Method: It is common to hear admonitions that policy must be informed by science; that policy actions must be "grounded" by an "adequate foundation" of objective science. The Role of Judgment in the Application of Science to Environmental Policy Questions: The EPA Weight of Evidence process provides a good, if somewhat generalized, depiction of how scientific methods and information are deployed in the context of environmental policy. [Extracted from the article]

The article offers information on the threats to an indigenous tribe of Amazon from an hydropower infrastructure plan proposed by the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). Topics discussed include decline in the Amazonian deforestation rates due to Brazil's environmental policies; conduction of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the Tapajós Hydroelectric Complex (THC); and mentions that the former President Dilma Rousseff redrew the boundaries of Amazon National Park (ANP).

The article discusses green finance preparedness and environmental policies of Germany. Topics explored include the capability of the German financial sector to address green finance-related challenges, the climate goals of the country particularly in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and utilizing renewable energies, and the adoption of energy efficient technologies by small and medium-sized enterprises in the country.

The article explores the possibility that the precautionary principle may be scrapped from the European Union's (EU) free trade agreements. Topics covered included the legal and regulatory approaches to environmental policymaking which helped the formation of the precautionary principle as a guideline in environmental decision making and the reasons the Innovation Principle is much favored in the U.S. and why it is under intense scrutiny in the EU.

The author discusses aspects of the risk awareness and safety culture for environmental health in the U.S. He highlights the effort of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries to prevent of minimize climate change through environmental protection. The author examines the contribution of several factors to environmental protection including technological advances, healthy and balanced diet and hygiene.

The author comments on the emergence of a new ocean uncovered by melting ice surrounding the Arctic environment in 2014. Topics discussed include the development by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) of rules in global waters, the establishment by IMO of a Polar Code, and oil and gas activities as domestic concerns. Also mentioned are commitment to cultural and environmental protection, limitations on commercial fishery, and the conservation of the ocean's environmental well-being.

The article considers the role of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), the generally accepted information and beliefs of a specific society about its environmental conditions and ecosystem use, in environmental policy formation in Europe. A relative lack of research on TEK within European rural communities is noted. Forestry management is among the examples cited of an environmental issue in which TEK could implement sustainable resource management.

The article discusses the processes for determining water quality standards in the U.S. and the scientific and ethical implications they have for the health and well-being of indigenous people in the Columbia River Basin as of November 2012. Topics include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) establishment of surface water quality standards, the Clean Water Act, and water toxicity levels. Additional information is presented on salmon fishing in Oregon, ambient water quality criteria, and social ethics prescribed by Catholicism.

The article discusses environmental laws, conservation land, and sustainability in New Zealand. The author argues that New Zealand has the image of an environmentally friendly country due to global tourism advertising campaigns, the Yale–Columbia University Environmental Performance Index (EPI), and the success of the "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy. Laws including the Resource Management Act (RMA) of 1991, the National Parks Act of 1980, and the Crown Minerals Act of 1991, the mining industry in New Zealand, and public reaction to laws on mining in conservation lands are examined.

The article discusses an innovative policy approach to climate change mitigation in Great Britain, called personal carbon trading (PCT), in which emission rights are allocated to individuals. According to the authors, despite the many variations of the PCT scheme, there are two main components they all share, including the lack of an option to opt out once an individual becomes part of a scheme and the distribution of an annual, equal per capita carbon emissions allowance for personal use without a fee. Topic include a discussion of the rationale behind a cap-and-trade policy approach in the context of climate mitigation policies, a summary of the status of PCT policy and research in Great Britain, and implications of the personal carbon allowances (PCA) scheme on individuals.

The article discusses climate change policymaking in the European Union (EU) and the lack of direction that came from the United Nations conference on climate change held in Copenhagen, Denmark in December 2009. The article discusses EU objectives for the Copenhagen meeting, EU actions taken at the meeting, the future of international cooperation on climate change, and influences that the Copenhagen meeting will have on the internal climate policies of the EU. Commentary is provided on the stance that the EU will take in future international climate change negotiations.

With a new administration in Washington and a new consensus that carbon dioxide emissions are causing catastrophic climate change, it is becoming clear that the United States will soon adopt some form of market-based regulation scheme. Though many would argue that the United States should have instituted a regulatory scheme years ago, the country will reap one distinct advantage from having a late start: the ability to learn from the European Union's ambitious efforts to tackle the problem of industrial carbon emissions for nearly five years.There are many ways that governments and other regulating bodies can regulate and control industrial carbon emissions, but two of the main methods are the traditional “command and control” strategy in which government sets unwavering limits on how much carbon each business can emit, and a system of “tradable emissions permits”—sometimes called cap and trade—in which a government sets an emissions limit, or cap, for each business or industry and issues permits that correspond to the allowed emissions amounts. Businesses within the system can buy and sell emissions permits to each other, enabling those who need and can afford to emit more carbon to do so without the overall limit being exceeded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines how community-based adaptations to climate change can strengthen resilience through development. According to the authors, international efforts to control climate change through greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation and carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration have been ineffective. The "Fourth Assessment Report," by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) anticipates rapid changes despite quick mitigation of GHGs and cites the severity of the environmental impact as a result. Topics include the urgency of developing countries to support environmental adaptation, which are adjustments in natural and human system in response to climatic changes, and an in-depth analysis of the benefits of a community-based approach.

This article discusses the management of fisheries and marine ecosystems in the coastal waters of the Philippines. Changes to fisheries management and environmental stewardship programs administered by the Philippines government are described. indicators of the biodiversity of the Philippines and the degraded state of their coral reefs are considered. Challenges associated with the development of institutional protections that can ensure sustainable fisheries are framed in terms of the difficulties arising from poverty in coastal communities.

The article discusses the report "Sustaining Europe for a Long Way Ahead: Making Long-Term Sustainable Development Policies Work," by the Network of European Environmental and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils (EEAC) during its annual meeting in October 2008. The statement's aim is to evaluate how well various aspects of societies and economies plan, adapt, think, and assess actions for sustainable projects. Topics include a definition of sustainable development, as defined by the EEAC, the relationship between governance, social justice, and budgets in promoting sustainability in European Union (EU) countries, and the availability of markets that offer long-term sustainability for humanity. Also discussed is the role culture, demography, and localism play in sustainability.

The article discusses how humans have failed to respond to various global environmental threats, such as climate change, despite scientific literature calling for change. Topics include an examination of the outcome of the 1972 United Nation's (UN) conference proceedings in Stockholm, Sweden, several books related to environmental responsibility including "Limits to Growth," and "Only One Earth," by economist Barbara Ward, and the creation of the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED). Also discussed is the commission's publication of "Our Common Future," the insights it articulated, and how it sparked a debate about sustainable development. Steps the private sector, national governments, and institutions can take toward sustainable development are presented.

The article discusses several actions U.S. households can take to limit climate change. The author cites the attention focused by the U.S. Congress, presidential candidates, and others on policies to limit the contribution to climate change by the U.S. Cap-and trade systems, automobile fuel economy standards, and investments in renewable energy are promoted in order to change the behavior of businesses while U.S. households, which account for a large percentage of national carbon emissions, is ignored. Topics include statistics related to household emissions, ways households can reduce energy consumption, and the beliefs regarding climate change and energy conservation

This article discusses the architectural policy frameworks available for the next international agreement on global climate change in Copenhagen, Denmark in December 2009. According to the authors, the Kyoto Protocol was limited by being an essentially top-down approach to control of greenhouse gas emissions. For the next conference, they suggest a hybrid form of targets and timetables with emphasis on economics of emissions trading, harmonized domestic actions by national and regional institutions and coordinated unified unilateral policies such as pledge and review.

This article discusses new forms of governance for environmental protection and sustainable development for the 21st Century. According to the authors, the power of the state is shrinking as budget cuts and globalization erode its influence. The state is being supplanted by international hybrid arrangements which emphasize co-management, public, private and social partnerships, markets and communities. These partnerships are active in management of forests, fisheries and water resources. They argue that incentives such as payments for ecosystem services and carbon emissions trading result in voluntary cooperation and greater stakeholder participation.

The article looks at the report the "Stern Review of the Economics of Climate Change." The authors for the report were brought together by Sir Nicholas Stern, the former chief economist and senior vice president of the World Bank. The task of the "Stern Review" was to apply the economic paradigm to new knowledge about climate change with the intent of making an economic case for immediate action to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. According to the article, the "Stern Review" does not conduct a proper optimization exercise, nor does it give any indication of the cost of delay--the very question that skeptics of climate change and critics of climate policy will ask. The article discusses the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

China's energy transition will benefit environment and human health in China. DeBoom discusses their dire environmental and health implications in Namibia, where China is investing in uranium mining. Such knowledge can build resistance and nurture motivation, courage, and creativity to identify alternative development options, both in China and in Namibia. [Extracted from the article]

The authors discuss the European Union (EU) rules about the disposal of electronic and electrical products. Widely available products such as cell phones, vacuum cleaners, stoves, and computers pose risks to both humans and the ecology if improperly discarded. The products, also known as e-waste, have been targeted by the EU in an effort to reverse their impact. The EU's decision also impacts such countries as the U.S., China, and Japan because of the manufacturers in those countries rely on exports. The three policy developments cover waste electrical and electronic equipment, restrictions on substances in electrical and electronic equipment (both in force as of 2003), and the regulation on the registration, evaluation, and authorization of chemicals used in manufacturing is effective 2007. INSETS: ENVIRONMENTAL AND HUMAN HEALTH THREATS FROM HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES;THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WEEE DIRECTIVE.

The article looks at U.S. environmental politics, policies, and the common good. According to the article, throughout American history, the dominant policies of the U.S. have been to promote the economic exploitation of natural resources. Some U.S. environmental policies have also included initiatives to manage and protect the natural environment, such as water management projects and controlling pollution. The article discusses public health, federal conservation, and sanitation policies, the 1970 National Environmental Policy Act, the limits of current environmental policies, and international environmental diplomacy.

This article focuses on efforts by many organizations to develop scientific information that is more useful to society. The movement towards integrating science into decision making has its roots in several arenas. Environmental regulations initiated in the 1970s, integration assessments associated with the U.S. Global Climate Change Research Program and the U.S. Congress demand for greater scientific accountability. Making science relevant to society is particularly important for those working towards sustainable development.

Presents an in-depth analysis of the links between social justice and environmental sustainability. History of the relationship between mainstream environmental sustainability groups and environmental justice groups in the U.S.; Importance of finding common ground between sustainability advocates, who focus on environmental stewardship and protection, and environmental justice, poverty reduction, and human rights advocates who focus on inequities, racism, and other issues; Significance of the philosophy of Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE), which stresses both environmental sustainability and environmental justice.

Discusses sustainable development. Roots of the sustainable development movement, in the United Nation's initiation of the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1982, and with the publishing of then-Prime Minister of Norway Gro Harlem Brundtland's report, "Our Common Future"; Definitions of sustainable development, the most widely accepted one being the ability to ensure that development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs; Goals of sustainable development, as defined by the UN Millennium Declaration, the Sustainability Transition of the Board on Sustainable Development, and the Great Transition of the Global Scenario Group; Progress indicators for sustainable development. INSET: VALUES UNDERLYING THE MILLENNIUM DECLARATION.

This article examines the effectiveness of environmental policies. Do environmental policies work? This may seem to be a simple, straightforward question. To anyone involved in the environmental policy process, it is certainly an important one--yet for many environmental policies, it lacks a solid answer. Decisionmakers often lack carefully collected evidence about what policies have accomplished in the past---and in this sense they are poorly informed about what new policies might accomplish in the future. Getting systematic answers to the question of whether environmental policies work is vital. Real resources are expended on environmental regulatory programs, and at a minimum one should expect that these programs then lead to improvements in environmental conditions. While intuitions and anecdotes may provide some reason for suspecting that a given policy has made or will make a difference, the only way to be confident of such suspicions is to evaluate a policy's impact in practice. Program evaluation research provides the means to determine what has and has not worked and thereby to decide whether to retain existing policies or adopt new or modified ones. Academics, policymakers, activists, and business leaders do generally recognize the need for careful evaluation of existing environmental policies. Indeed, some important research has been undertaken, particularly studies of the effects of long-standing regulations such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. Yet program evaluation research has been remarkably scarce relative to the overall volume of environmental policy decisions made at the state and federal level and to the amount of evaluation research found in other fields, such as medicine, education, or transportation safety. A renewed and greatly expanded commitment to program evaluation of environmental policy would help move environmental decisionmaking closer to an evidence-based practice. INSET: ILLUSTRATIVE EVALUATION OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY.

This article examines how environmental science is changing in ways that bring researchers, students, decisionmakers, and citizens closer than ever before, and identifies the need to build an infrastructure, both technological and human, that enables effective interaction among these groups. Why is such an infrastructure necessary? Local actions have global impacts, and global changes have local effects. Monitoring global and local indicators can be an effective way to assess the implications of environmental change and the effectiveness of strategies to manage it. But despite its promise, monitoring by itself is an incomplete solution; there must be a way to achieve synthesis of local environmental change into expressions of global impacts and to translate global processes into locally meaningful terms. Achieving this goal requires a new approach to scientific infrastructure and, specifically, infrastructure that supports scientific collaboration. To address these needs, one vision for collaborative environmental science uses an infrastructure based on new Internet technologies and the emerging "Semantic Web" to support interaction among scientists, decisionmakers, and stakeholders. The goal of this infrastructure is not to replace established forms of collaboration but to augment them with deeper interaction and with consensus-building techniques that bring advantages not available with traditional modes of communication. To be successful, however, this infrastructure must be designed around three characteristics of effective scientific collaboration: continuity, which enables communities to link local studies to larger problems, informality, which gives diverse groups a role in science, and ubiquity, which leverages Internet connectivity to achieve greater communication. INSETS: REAL-TIME ONLINE CONFERENCES BENEFIT STUDENTS;KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND PITFALLS;ASYNCHRONOUS DISCUSSIONS IN A DIVERSE CLIMATE-IMPACTS STUDY.

Discusses the importance of communicating the urgency and challenge of global climate change. Trend for Americans to be preoccupied with many issues other than climate change; Findings by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change regarding the potential impacts and emissions reductions needed in order to avoid drastic consequences; Consideration of how many scientists have issued publicized warnings to alert the public of the need for action; Hurdles encountered by the U.S. public in a national dialogue on climate change; Impact of the release of emissions of heat-trapping gases and subsequent impacts on the climate; Ways to increase the persuasiveness of the climate change message without appealing to fear. INSETS: FLIPPING THE "SWITCH ON ABRUPT CLIMATE CHANGE";UNDERMING URGENCY: DEALING MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH ALARMISTS.

Discusses how Europe will launch an updated emissions trading program for greenhouse gases in 2005 which is much larger and more complex than the U.S. effort. Role of market-based policies in environmental regulation and in the formation of future European and international climate change policies; Consideration of the plans for the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) to address global climate change implement a more consistent trading program among nations; Innovations regarding provisions that provide flexibility in monitoring and compliance; Difficulty associated with the preparation and review of National Allocation Plans; Use of auctions in the distribution of tradable emissions allowances in the U.S. INSETS: EUROPEAN UNION TERMINOLOGY;KEY FEATURES OF EU ETS;EFFECTIVE EMISSIONS TRADING PROGRAMS: A VIEW FROM THE ECONOMICS;SUMMARY OF U.S. TRADING PROGRAMS

Presents an analysis of the strategies indicated by the U.K. Sustainable Development Commission report. Introduction of 15 headline indicators as the basis for regularly reviewing progress toward sustainability; Recommendations from the SDC report regarding substantial sustainability policy; Challenges associated with developing comprehensive policies and rethinking the economy; Assessment of police and military forces from a sustainability point of view; Identification of different business sectors that the government should establish long-term goals and timetables for change; Implications from the report that the U.K. government must do better by defining ambitious targets and transparent strategies to approach them.

Focuses on environmental policies for air pollution in Delhi, India. Changes in the use of fuels to compressed natural gas by vehicles; Role of Indian Supreme Court in the implementation of regulatory policies in the country; Impact of the proliferation of laws in 1980s on the actual state of pollution in Delhi.

Discusses issues concerning the environmental policy in Germany, the U.S. and Japan. Factors considered in determining the ecological footprint in the U.S.; Information on the environmental problems in Germany, the U.S., and Japan; Estimated biologically productive acres per person worldwide; Description of the green social welfare approach of Germany to environmental protection; Background on the environmental policies of the three countries.

The Bulgarian energy sector faces challenges and opportunities as a part of reform. Bulgaria is a potential link for energy routes from Russia and the Middle East to Europe. The future of nuclear energy and improved energy efficiency are critical. The main objectives of the strategy are the security of energy supply, nuclear safety, energy efficiency, environmental protection, and gradual liberalization and integration of the energy sector into European energy markets. The parliament adopted the Law on Energy and Energy Efficiency, which outlined conditions for the gradual liberalization of the sector and created the State Energy Regulatory Commission as an independent regulator for the future energy market. Because the operation of Bulgaria's only nuclear power station, Kozloduy, had been an issue of contention with the European Union because of concerns about the safety of Soviet-designed reactors, the Kostov government requested a World Bank-funded study to evaluate the environmental and economic impacts of alternative energy scenarios. By 2002, the new government of the National Movement Simeon II had transformed the Agency for Energy and Energy Resources into a ministry of energy that was vested with considerable political power. The new strategy involves energy security, energy efficiency, environmental protection, and nuclear safety. It criticizes previous policies for maintaining strong control over energy sector investments, continuing to subsidize energy companies and prices, and lacking transparency in decision-making and the regulatory framework. The Bulgarian Ministry of Energy's recent communication, on the potential role of energy service companies, the investment priorities identified in the energy strategy, and a plan announced to provide energy subsidies to the poorest households against the introduction of efficiency-enhancing metering systems, are important steps.

Focuses on environmental protection in the United States. Criticism of the system of environmental regulation as costly, inflexible, and ineffective; Discussion of the environmental management system (EMS) which is endorsed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use in the private sector; Topics of EMS standards, ISO 14001 certification, government policy for EMS implementation, adoption of EMS in many sectors through the efforts of private organizations, government mandates and incentives. INSETS: ISO Standards for Environmental Management Systems;Environmental Management Systems in Small Businesses.

Presents an analysis of the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush's Global Climate Change Initiative, a proposal which addresses U.S. climate change policy. Question of whether voluntary program swill be sufficient to combat climate changes; Discussion of the greenhouse intensity target and what it means for future emission levels in the U.S.; Voluntary efforts, including the creation of the Energy Star label by the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency to assist in identifying energy-efficient products.

Analyzes the results of a survey of 252 people involved in global environmental policy through government, nongovernmental organizations, academia, media and businesses in 71 countries. Topic of summits in 1992 and 2002; Discussion of priorities such as education, health, pollution control, and debt relief in a global sustainable development agenda; Issue of the influence of northern and southern governments in international environmental politics; Pros and cons of environmental megasummits.

Focuses on the conflict in Madagascar between the state and the tantsaha, or French colonial administration, over the environmental degradation caused by widespread fires. Efforts of the state to stop or slow the burning; Promotion of the burning by the tantsaha for purposes such as pasture renewal and cropfield preparation; History of the natural resource conflict.

Focuses on the concern surrounding air pollution in Europe. Protocol of the European Union (EU) and the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP), which calls for cuts in such air pollutants as sulfur dioxide; Goal of a parallel National Emission Ceilings (NEC) Directive to reduce pollutant emissions; Effort to develop an effective response to the threat of global climate change; Outlook for the effectiveness of these air-pollution policies. INSETS: Environmental Policymaking in the European Union: The Main...;The Clean Air for Europe Programme.

Discusses what has worked and what has not worked in emission trading systems in the United States from the standpoint of environmental justice. Explanation for the opposition to emission trading programs; Factors that have been identified as important in affecting the spatial variation in the human health and ecological impacts; Characteristics of emission trading systems; Policy changes that can be made to improve the justice of emission trading systems. INSET: Trading Rules and Trading Ratios: Three Basic Approaches to....

Offers a comparative analysis of the development of environmental policy in Northeast Asian countries such as Japan, Korea and China. History of environmental policy; Cause of policy discrepancies; Comparison of the relationship between economic growth and environmental policy development.

Focuses on the environmental problems faced by communist countries. Conflict between economic goals and environmental concerns; Suggestions on how to build public trust through environmental laws; Significance of effective communication in building public access and trust; Role of nongovernmental organizations in increasing public access.

Focuses on the developments in water management and environmental policy that took place in the United States during the 20th century. Water management activities after the 1920s; Changes in environmental policy; Federal concern regarding the use of floodplains; Provision and disposal of domestic water supply; Lesson learned from the 1990s. INSET: The Legacy of Abel Wolman.

Discusses the proliferation of international environmental agreements. Effectiveness of institutional arrangements in international society; Identification of causal mechanisms through which environmental regimes affect the behavior of states with environmental problems. INSETS: Intentional Oil Pollution at Sea;Barents Sea Fisheries;Transboundary Air Pollution in Europe.

Discusses the factors affecting national compliance with international agreements on environmental issues. Model for the explanation of compliance behavior of nations; Intention and capacity of the nation to comply; Strategies for strengthening compliance.

Comments on the 1998 report of the Enterprise for the Environment (E4E) program of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) entitled `The Environmental Protection System in Transition.' Weaknesses of the report; How the E4E report offers proposals for reforming the environmental protection system; Brief information on the E4E initiative chaired by EPA Administrator William D. Ruckelshaus.

Looks at the role of benefit-cost analysis in environmental policymaking. Description on the legal and administrative basis for using benefit-cost analysis; Summary of the steps involved in conducting a benefit-cost analysis; Suggestions for conducting benefit-costs analysis and using them in the policy process.