Failings of Environmental Law
Despite the recent rise in emissions awareness, a number of alarming new reports suggest that states are not doing enough to reduce emissions. Florida, for instance, has seen a 36% increase in emissions since 1990, while New Jersey has seen a 16% increase. New Jersey is surrounded by states such as Pennsylvania and New York that have significantly higher emissions, but New Jersey has shown more of an increase than its surrounding areas. Arizona, similarly, has seen a 61% increase in emissions since 1990, the highest rate of growth of any state. Texas, meanwhile, has seen a reduction in emissions, but sill has the title of most greenhouse gas emissions of any state.
The study published by Environment America showed that emissions had gone down in only one-third of states since 2004, despite a nationwide movement to improve pollution awareness. The majority of states had significant increases, especially between 2004 and 2007, though the nation as a whole has had a 19% increase in emissions since 1990. This report, if nothing else, shows the need for better environmental laws, including the current proposition in the US Senate to pass a strict cap and trade bill designed to reduce industrial emissions nationwide by making them purchase pollution permits. Overall, however, despite all of our positive efforts and auspicious conservation acts, we can see that our efforts to date have been as of yet not strong enough to make the significant changes that our country and our wildlife desperately need.
