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Many Americans today view the government as the savior of the environment. When it comes to protecting land, fish, and wildlife, the common response is to let government do it. The contributors to Government Versus the Environment encourage us to consider government in a different light by looking at clear instances of public programs that foster environmental destruction. They provide an in-depth look at of how the political process can adversely impact the quality of our environment and argue that the government's track record in managing natural resources has been and continues to be abysmal. The case studies in Government Versus the Environment will cause readers to think twice about the all-too-familiar calls for more government for the sake of the environment.
List of contents
Chapter 1 Greener Pastures? The Defective Attraction of Federal Environmental Policy Chapter 2 Silent Springs and Silent Villages: Pesticides and the Trampling of Property Rights Chapter 3 Fueling the Race to the Fish Chapter 4 Federal Flood Policies: 150 Years of Environmental Mischief Chapter 5 Unplugging the Everglades Chapter 6 War on Wildlife Chapter 7 The Untouchables: America's National Forests Chapter 8 Banking on Disaster: The World Bank and Environmental Destruction Chapter 9 All Play and No Pay: The Adverse Effects of Welfare Recreation Chapter 10 Castles in the Sand: The Army Corps of Engineers and Federal Beach Replenishment
About the author
Donald R. Leal is senior associate at the Political Economy Research Center. Roger E. Meiners is professor of law and economics at the University of Texas at Arlington and director of research at the Political Economy Research Center.
Summary
Many Americans view the government as the saviour of the environment. This work explores how the political process can adversely impact the quality of the environment and argues that the government's track record in managing natural resources is abysmal. Case studies are included.
