The First Environmental Policy:

The First Environmental Policy:

This blog is written to research the oldest environmental policy, but my research was narrowed to the United States of America.

It was really a shock to me when I first arrived in the United States and realize that even forest and river and wetland all enjoy legal right and representation. This realization and my curiosity to find out these legal rights lead me to several questions: why do forest, river, and wetland need legal right? Who are the ones making these legal policy, where should these policy be applied, and when did the idea come about?

Over my two years of stay in the United States I have try to get a better understanding of these questions. As easy as the question may sound there is no exactly right or wrong answers to either of them. People have different perception of the earth resources and how these resources should be used. People perception about the utilization of earth resources and the answer they provide to these questions reflect their individual mindset and occupation. An economics will want to make a maximum used of earth limited resources while a environmentalist will want to protect the earth nature environment.

Base on the different views of people about the use of earth resources, there should be a need to create a common ground on which both the economics, environmentalist, and every other persons can feel some level of satisfaction about how our earth resources is being used. It is clear that our demand for earth resources is increasing and there is a need to regulate the rate at which we consume, but another question “Who?” resurface. Who should be the ones to make these regulations?

As I continue to find answers to these questions, I was motivated with the opportunity to write a blog about the oldest environmental policy. I felt it was time to read and search a little deeper, and one thing I find out is that the “Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1899” also known as the Refuse Art is the oldest federal environmental law in the United States. The Refuse Art prohibits the dumping of refuse into navigable waters or the creation of any navigational obstruction, and it regulates the construction of wharves, piers, jetties, bulkheads, and similar structures in ports, rivers, canals, or other areas used for navigation. Even thou this Art was amended several times during the twentieth century, it has been very helpful in setting guidelines for appropriate used of water, water pollution and ideas that might have lead to the clean water Art of 1972. The creation of laws helps us shape our understanding and give us the responsibilities to know the difference. Even thou we do not agree with every laws, it is clear that every has a significant benefit.

The more I read the more I become interested in environmental policy. I hope to get a better understanding of how environmental policies are made and to help answer some of my questions about current and future policy making decision.

Reference: http://www.pollutionissues.com/Re-Sy/Rivers-and-Harbors-Appropriations-Act.html