How did environmental protection become so politicized? How did the 1970s environmental programs get on the political agenda? Environmental protection laws such as the Water Act of 1972 overrode Nixon’s veto and were passed by a bipartisan group of legislators. The Trump administration’s policies are threatening these programs, and his appointees are sharpening their axes against scientists and environmental agencies.
As one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, Laurence Fishburne’s net worth continues to rise with each new project he takes on.
The EPA became increasingly politicized. This increased the amount of money in politics. This led to more lobbying and propaganda from the fossil fuel industry, which realized that its products were dangerous and were in an existential struggle to survive. Fortunately, the environmental movement did not fail to take advantage of these new political realities. But the environmental movement is an important part of American history. So it’s understandable that this issue has become so politicized in the 21st century.
The 1970s saw the passage of the National Air Quality Act, which created an unprecedented level of public and political pressure. Various environmental reforms, such as cap and trade, forced the government to invest in alternative energy and reduce subsidies for carbon-intensive energy. But political solutions don’t appear as immediate as technological ones, and they are subject to an intensely persuasive narrative. As a result, they rarely achieve the desired impact.
While John Kerry is busy negotiating agreements with countries around the world, domestically, he must grapple with the limits of modern environmental politics. While partisan gridlock has undermined environmental legislation for 50 years, the lessons from the past may help us overcome these barriers. The first step is recognizing the problems and identifying the best solutions. The second step is to make environmental protection individually rational. This requires an understanding of the roots of environmental politics, and it’s not an easy task.
