Chapter 16, Problem 1AL

To determine

To enlist: The five current environment-related policy issues in the state, and to discuss the branch of government that should take the lead in solving each issue, and to explain the reason behind the designation of the authorities for each issue, to select one issue from the list and to discuss the some of the sources of uncertainty involved in the decision making process, the help that scientific research in identifying and solving the policy issue, and the role of scientific data in rule-making processes.

Answer to Problem 1AL

The environmental issues should be addressed by the three branches of government and they should also incorporate the scientific ideas while making the decisions.

Explanation of Solution

The environment condition has been degrading by the influence of human factors, such as deforestation, emission of greenhouse gases, and many others. The government along with the scientists is trying to minimize the effects of the environmental change.

The five current environment-related policy issues in the state are as follows:

(1) The energy is the main and important issue in the state. The energy is either obtained from the non-renewable resources and renewable resources. The usage of non-renewable resources leads to the depletion of those resources and also they harm the environment. The renewable energy resources are used to some extent, but the renewable resources cannot fulfill the demands of the state currently.

(2) There are resources available for the definite size of the population of the state. The drastic increase in the population in the state results in the crisis of resources. More resources are exploited. This leads to the extraction and processing of more resources for the human needs.

(3) Due to the increased population, the condition of traffic congestion arises. The vehicles got slower on roads, and more fuel is burned in this congestion. The gases pollute the air to a much greater level.

(4) The water bodies and air are being polluted by the human factors. The air becomes poisonous because of the increased levels of poisonous gases in the air. The water is being contaminated by the presence of heavy metals that makes water unfit for drinking.

(5) The sudden human-made disasters also cause various health issues such as leakage of poisonous gases and many others. The chemical industries release millions of tons of chemicals without proper processing in the air and water that leads to the deterioration of the human health.

The legislative along with executive branch should take the lead for addressing the issues of energy, population, health, and water and air problems. The judiciary should check the traffic congestion issue in the state. The issues of energy, population, health, and water and air problems in the state can be settled by the formation of laws regarding the energy usage. The projects will be funded by the government. The laws will be formed by the legislature and the executive will implement the laws in the state. The traffic congestion should be controlled by the judiciary by taking strict actions against the people who form the congested roads by unsystematic driving.

The energy issue involves major sources of uncertainty that retards the process of making decisions. The problems include economic problems, lack of availability of renewable resources in the state, and unemployed people in the state. The scientific research can help in solving the issues by conducting experiments and thus, concluding the easiest, accessible, and economically feasible methods for the increase in usage of renewable energy. The scientific research can help the decision makers when the laws have to be formed. The legislative branch should seek help from the scientific researchers in forming the laws according to the scientific methodologies and scientific approach.