A New Progressive Agenda for Public Health and the Environment
Writing for the Center for American Progress website, Christopher Schroeder and Rena Steinzor, co-editors of CPR's book, A New Progressive Agenda for Public Health and the Environment, offer a summary of the work, which features contributions from 20 CPR Member Scholars.
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Author(s): Christopher Schroeder, Rena Steinzor
Politics and Precaution
Politics and Precaution, op-ed by William Buzbee
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Author(s): William Buzbee
Maryland Water Standards a Quarter Century Late and Counting
On the Center for American Progress website, Rena Steinzor writes that Maryland's Department is moving "ever so glacially toward developing enforceable standards for a key provision of the Clean Water Act."
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Author(s): Rena Steinzor
States Fail to Ensure Water Quality
Clifford Rechtschaffen, writing on the Center for American Progress website: "The federal government relies in great measure on state agencies to enforce many of the key provisions of the Clean Water Act, including the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), a system by which polluters are issued permits to emit specific quantities of pollution into waterways. The sorry truth is that the system doesn't work very well, and enforcement of NPDES provisions is inadequate. That's the conclusion I'm forced to draw from a survey of state environmental protection agencies I conducted earlier this year."
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Author(s): Clifford Rechtschaffen
Tort Law, Texas Style
On the Center for American Progress website, Douglas Kysar writes that "Conservative lawmakers and right-wing policy institutes would have us believe that one of the most pressing issues facing the nation today is the problem of 'regulation through litigation.' Across the country, power-hungry officials are said to be conspiring with greedy lawyers and activist judges to pursue regulatory agendas that have not, or could not, be successfully achieved through legislative channels. Given this relentless conservative refrain, it was surprising to learn that the latest example of 'regulation through litigation' was launched by Cornyn's successor as Texas state attorney general, Greg Abbott...."
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Author(s): Douglas Kysar
Responsible Regulation Sabotaged
Writing on the Center for American Progress website, Sophisticated Sabotage authors Sidney Shapiro and Thomas McGarity observe that because landmark environmental, health and safety laws are broadly supported by the public, "polluting industries have sought to stymie regulation in ways that hide their efforts."
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Author(s): Sidney Shapiro, Thomas McGarity
Grazing Decision Cover-Up
Writing for AlterNet and the Center for American Progress website, Joe Feller observes that the Bush administration's proposal to ease environmental controls on livestock grazing on public lands marks the latest example of politics and secrecy trumping professional judgment and transparency.
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Author(s): Joe Feller
Mad Cow 'Firewalls' Just a Smokescreen
Writing on the Center for American Progress website, Tom McGarity observes that seven months into the discovery of Mad Cow disease in a Washington state cattle herd, it's time for the Bush Department of Agriculture to have a comprehensive plan. But the so-called "firewalls" it touts are more about public relations than food safety.
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Author(s): Thomas McGarity
Try Not to Breathe!
Writing on AlterNet, Catherine O'Neill observes that " Scant attention has been given to the Bush administration's embrace of risk avoidance as the supposed 'solution' to public health hazards and environmental contamination." She makes the case that the burden to avoid unhealthy exposure to pollution should not fall on individuals, but rather on polluters -- but someone needs to explain that to the Bush administration.
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Author(s): Catherine O'Neill
Only an Independent Agency Can Safeguard Beef
Only an Independent Agency Can Safeguard Beef, op-ed by Thomas McGarity
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Author(s): Thomas McGarity