Public Agenda: First Choice 2004

Create Your Own Choicework: The Environment

Choicework is a useful way to think through public issues, but the approaches we describe aren't the only way to look at this problem. You may have your own ideas, and people often decide they can't totally buy into one approach. So look at the options below and come up with your own way of looking at the problem. Check off all of the actions you think should be taken and add your own ideas.

Check off all of the actions you think should be taken:

Curb pollution through sensible regulations

Government must strengthen its enforcement of environmental regulations. Funding for environmental protection should be increased.

To cut fuel consumption and reduce greenhouse gases, the government should set higher fuel efficiency standards, particularly for gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles.

To reduce air pollution from power plants, government should take additional measures to encourage better energy use, such as requiring household appliances to use less energy.

Increase fines and other penalties for environmental violations.

Use "pollution credits" to reduce the overall amount of pollution without dumping too much of the burden on any one community. Work with other countries to limit greenhouse gasses that cause global warming.

Putting environmental protection in perspective

Replace government regulations with what works best: the free-market system, which relies on individual responsibility and financial interests to protect the environment.

Open more public lands for carefully managed mineral and oil production, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Require government to study the economic impact of any proposed environmental regulation.

Use incentives, not regulations or prohibitions, to encourage property owners to preserve land as habitats for rare or endangered species.

Re-examine environmental protection laws to eliminate excessive or unreasonable regulations.

Continue research into global warming and other environmental concerns. We've got to be sure we understand what's happening before we jump into costly reforms.

Preventing further environmental destruction

Make environmental protection our highest priority, and reduce pollution and consumption to levels that can be sustained indefinitely.

Make comprehensive efforts to prevent pollution rather than simply trying to limit it, or clean it up after pollution occurs.

Raise taxes on coal, oil, gasoline, pesticides, and toxic waste to discourage their use or creation, and encourage people to resort to alternative products that are less damaging to the environment.

Ratify the Kyoto treaty to fight global warming. Impose strict worldwide limits on "greenhouse gases" that cause the warming effect.

Strengthen auto emissions standards, increase subsidies for public transportation, and encourage transportation technologies that don't require carbon fuels.

Educate the public about the environmental consequences of their lifestyle choices.

Are there other actions not listed here that you think should be considered? If so, enter them here:

Additional action: