Based on Individual Liberty and Economic Freedom

America’s primary environmental goal should be a cleaner, healthier, and safer environment for current and future generations. Yet, governing environmental laws have strayed far from intended purposes, and their implementations are imposing immense costs on Americans with few benefits in return. Too often they impose mandates, empower and enlarge ineffective bureaucracies, and cripple the efforts of free people to more effectively steward America’s environment and natural resources.The Heritage Foundation’s Environmental Conservation: Eight Principles of the American Conservation Ethic offers specific reforms for today’s challenges and principles to guide future policy decisions.

 

The Heritage Foundation, January 14, 2013
“Environmental Conservation Based on Individual Liberty and Economic Freedom”
By Romina Boccia, Jack Spencer and Robert Gordon

environmental, environment, conservation, environmentaal policy, seven50, clean water, clean air, endangered species

Environmental Conservation

1). America’s environmental laws have strayed far from their ostensible purposes and impose undue and immense costs on Americans.

2). Federal environmental laws and regulations empower large, ineffective bureaucracies; trample property rights; choke free markets; stifle individual freedoms; result in higher prices for food, fuel, fiber, and minerals; reduce innovation; lower incomes; and, often, effect negative environmental consequences.

3). Lawmakers should reject proposed policies to restrict CO2 emissions and related policies that distort energy markets. The United States should also reject ceding control over elements of the nation’s economic and individual liberties through ineffective global environmental negotiations.

4). Effective stewardship respects individual liberty, property rights, and economic freedom. Such a foundation allows science and technology, markets, and a site-specific and situation-specific approach to yield real environmental benefits.

 

Read the full report here.

 

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