Making Environmental Law The Politics of Protecting the Earth

From Eisenhower to Obama, this book provides a comprehensive analysis of the policies Congress and the president have proposed and passed to protect the environment over time.

From controlling air pollution to preserving endangered species to preventing and cleaning up toxic waste, protecting the environment has evolved into a legitimate policy concern for the United States over the past 80 years. Besides its positive effect on our natural world, environmental legislation also has significant political, cultural, and economic ramifications.

The U.S. federal government first began to consider legislation to protect the environment and natural resources in 1940s. Since that time, Congress and the president have considered and passed numerous environmental policies—laws that serve to protect the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink, the natural beauty of the land, and the animals that live both on land and in the water.

In Making Environmental Law: The Politics of Protecting the Earth, experienced and accomplished environmental law researcher Nancy E. Marion shows what policies Congress have proposed and passed to protect the environment over time. Each chapter focuses on the members of Congress's response to a different environmental concern, such as ocean dumping, pesticides, and solid waste. With "green" awareness now affecting every aspect of our modern world, this text serves as an invaluable reference for students and researchers who need a deeper historical background on the political aspects of these issues.