The crisis of the Santa Barbara offshore oil spill in 1969 led to the passage of radically new environmental laws that made the United States an international leader in environmental protection at the time. Since then, environmental regulation has proved detrimental to both industrial and environmental performance. It contributed to a deepening confrontation between environmental and industrial groups, a rift which spread to other areas of politics and society. This book traces the origin of the current conflict and carefully analyzes current environmental and resource policy. Other advanced nations, especially in the EU, evolved more sophisticated and cooperative policies. These have led to high environmental quality and have permitted the EU to lead in global reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, the environmental regulatory policies have fostered robust industrial and fiscal performance. Americans know something has gone wrong in the U.S. The book's candid comparison of U.S. and EU policies yields fresh perspectives on sources of U.S. dilemmas in energy policy, Congressional lawmaking, and other areas of concern.

"Managing the environment has become an issue of such bitter partisanship in the U.S. that the prospects for further progress may seem bleak. Frank Manheim's detailed, even-handed, and historically grounded analysis offers a generous counterpoint to today's rancorous environmental politics. His book challenges Americans to look beyond domestic gridlock, and regain perspective by taking advantage of EU experience and building a sense of mission around the interlocking goals of climate stabilization, energy independence, and economic vitality."

-Daniel Sarewitz, Director of the Consortium for Science, Policy, and Outcomes, Arizona State University

Frank T. Manheim is an affiliate professor in the School of Public Policy, George Mason University. In course of more than 30 years as a federal government ocean and earth scientist he served on numerous interagency and scientific advisory panels including the National Academy of Science--National Research Council, National Science Foundation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Land Management and Minerals Management Service, and industry associations. Manheim has cooperated with European, Russian, and Japanese scientists and agencies and is a recipient of the Swedish Academy of Science Pettersson Medal for Excellence in Ocean Research. He is an author of 190 published articles and has edited or co-edited five books.

Autorentext
Frank T. Manheim is an affiliate professor in the School of Public Policy, George Mason University. In course of more than 30 years as a federal government ocean and earth scientist he served on numerous interagency and scientific advisory panels including the National Academy of Science--National Research Council, National Science Foundation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Land Management and Minerals Management Service, and industry associations. Manheim has cooperated with European, Russian, and Japanese scientists and agencies and is a recipient of the Swedish Academy of Science Pettersson Medal for Excellence in Ocean Research. He is an author of 190 published articles and has edited or co-edited five books.

Zusammenfassung
in Congress are not considered, they may affect future energy programs just as they have past programs. Finally, potentially ruinously costly increases in energy imports force attention to the problem of how major public policy plans have been and are prepared in the United States. A witches' brew of some 500 energy bills proposed in the 110th C ongress in the House and Senate is now being stirred up. This inspirational approach to public policymaking bears little resemblance to the thoughtful way critical policies have been developed in the EU. A change of the way major national planning is undertaken may do more than anything else to bring facts and reality into play, reduce hostilities, open up cooperation, new resources, technologies, creative energies, and productivity toward energy policy transitions. Chapter 6 Foreign Experience 6. 1 The European Union and Other Nations Take the Lead The EU has pioneered a new form of post-national government, in which nation-states pool some of their sovereignty for the common good. Many of its admirers see this as a useful potential model for Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, China-Taiwan, Latin America, parts of Africa and so on. The EU takes some issues, like human rights, global warming and the fostering of an international system of justice, with admirable seriousness . . . . . . Considering the kind of Europe it replaced, the EU has been an almost miraculous success (Walker, 2007).

Inhalt
The Story.- Our Current Conflict.- Tracing the Roots of the Conflict.- Why History Is Important for Environmental Decision Making Today and Tomorrow.- The Environmental Revolution of the 1970s and Its Outcomes.- Why do Conflict and Polarization Matter?.- Foreign Experience.- Reform Efforts and the Future: Where Do We Go from Here?.- Cases, Documentation, and Policy Analysis.- Case Studies and Examples.- Policy Analysis.