Importance Of Environmental Law

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Environmental law is a broad form of law developed to regulate how human activities affect the physical and biological environment (Doremus et al 2008, 2). Environmental law can be large scale or small scale, global or local; but it takes the cooperation of many different agencies to be successful. Overall, environmental law has contributed to a healthier environment in many ways. Since the beginning of environmental law and regulation, society has seen advancements in sanitation, pollution, air and water quality disease control and prevention, and ultimately in quality of life. Before the 1970s, when environmental regulation became commonplace in the United States, environmental health was not a main priority. Sanitation infrastructure was lackluster, high levels of air and water pollution was normal and disease outbreaks were common. These environmental health problems were not new and were not unique to the United States; they were present on a global scale. Cholera outbreaks in London, typhoid fever outbreaks in Chicago and New York were all a result of weak environmental laws. Rodent infestations in the fourteenth century riddled …show more content…

Regulations provide the baseline environmental standards that industry is required to follow. Without environmental regulations, industry would not be able to meet the same standards by themselves. Environmental regulations may not always be in the best interest of the industry due to their costly and sometimes prohibitive nature. In response to these concerns, the establishment of incentive programs increases the likelihood of industry complying with and potentially exceeding the minimum environmental standard. Incentive programs motivate industry to meet and exceed environmental standards by allowing them to benefit financially by aiming for higher than regulation

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