When addressing an environmental issue, every involved actor, regulation and initiative has its own strengths and limitations. Each aspect of environmental governance has a specific role when it comes to defining problems and proposing solutions. Thus far, with regard to pollution in the Great Lakes, we have appointed specific actors, regulations and initiatives which all contribute in some specific way.
Actors previously discussed are the Great Lakes Science Advisory Board, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Milwaukee Water Works. Each of these actors has strength in a certain area. More specifically, the GLSAB and MWW are involved with scientific research. The EPA governs enforcement of regulations based on laws with relation to Great Lakes Pollution.
Regulations previously discussed are The Clean Water Act, the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, and Microbead Bans. Each of these plays a role in regulating action of the public. The CWA is important as it is a foundational federal law in governing water pollution in the United States. The GLWQA is an essential regulation as it an international regulation. As the Great Lakes are bordered by both the United States and Canada, it sets them both to the same standard. Microbead banning plays it's own very specific role by restricting an environmental input that has been discovered to be very detrimental to aquatic life.
Initiatives mentioned prior are the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative, National Wildlife Federation, and the Freshwater Society. Each of these works to create a network mode of governance by promoting collaboration. The GLSI works with educational initiatives and local environmental organizations. The NWF brings together all types of actors to promote conservation of wildlife and natural resources. And finally, the FS partners with local organizations and volunteer groups to promote protection of freshwater resources.
With the above information, we know the capabilities and limitations of each actor, regulation and initiative mentioned. In JP Evan's Environmental Governance, he states eight hypotheses in the concluding chapter that we should work to understand as we move forward. A few of these hypotheses stood out to me:
Governance requires political vision. This hypothesis stood out to me because I fully support this statement. At the end of the day, government officials are going to have the say in whether a major movement is going to be made to address pollution in the Great Lakes. Being able to appeal to politicians can really go along way.
Getting the mix of approaches right is critical. I think this hypothesis is important because it eliminates the bias that is produced from the viewpoint of one particular group. Also, it will help to promote the most feasible solutions in protecting the Great Lakes from pollution sources.
Governance is about learning. At the end of the day, addressing environmental issues is a learning experience for everyone. Environmental problems are complex. This is why there is not one clear cut answer. Actors, initiatives, and regulations across all scales must be open to new/different ideas and information. Without the desire to learn, no advancement can be made to help reduce pollution in our precious Great Lakes.
A good overview of the work you've done this semester! I was just wondering where the EPA fits in relation to the GLWQA? Im assuming that the GLWQA overrides the EPA for the need to create a level transnational agreement. I like the hypothesis you choose to apply to the Great Lakes. The hypothesis are focused on the steps needed to be taken before action, which I think is very nesessary to be cautious in our actions because the Lakes are one of the most valuable natural resources our earth has.
ReplyDeleteHey, I thought this writing really summed up your project well. I also really agree that governance is about learning. Regulations passed today may not be an end to all problems solution and will be learned from and modified in the future. It seems like a lot was focused on laws and regulations. Something that could help us learn could be to look at what other countries have done to regulate and protect freshwater resources and what has worked and hasn't.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very good summary of your work over the semester. I liked the points you made about governance. I agree that we need different modes of governance working on the same problem. Clearly there is not one fix-all solution to the complex problems we have addressed, and so having different modes working to combat the problem would be beneficial. I also liked what you had to say about learning. Progress is made when we find new and better ways of existing. As we combat issues like pollution, we learn more about what is harmful and what is helpful.
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