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Who speaks for the trees, the water, the soil, and the air in American government today? Which agencies confront environmental problems, and how do they set priorities? How are the opposing claims of interest groups evaluated? Why do certain issues capture the public's attention? In Making Environmental Policy, Daniel Fiorino combines the hands-on experience of an insider with the analytic rigor of a scholar to provide the fullest, most readable introduction to federal environmental policymaking yet published. A committed environmental advocate, he takes readers from theory to practice, demonstrating how laws and institutions address environmental needs and balance them against other political pressures. Drawing on the academic literature and his own familiarity with current trends and controversies, Fiorino offers a lucid view of the institutional and analytic aspects of environmental policymaking. A chapter on analytic methods describes policymakers' attempts to apply objective standards to complex environmental decisions. The book also examines how the law, the courts, political tensions, and international environmental agencies have shaped environmental issues. Fiorino grounds his discussion with references to numerous specific cases, including radon, global warming, lead, and hazardous wastes. Timely and necessary, this is an invaluable handbook for students, activists, and anyone wanting to unravel contemporary American environmental politics.

British Politics and Policy at LSE ran a series on Climate Change and Environmental Policy in 2012. This ecollection is a select sample of some of the most interesting posts from that series. Access to the full spectrum of articles on this theme is available online.

THIS ARTICLE CONSIDERS THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE GROWING POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC INTEGRATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU). MANY HAVE PRAISED RECENT EU MEASURES DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND ARGUE THAT SINCE MANY ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS TRANSCEND NATIONAL BORDERS, THE SOLUTIONS SHOULD AS WELL. OTHERS, HOWEVER, POINT TO THE ORIGINS OF THE UNION AND TO THE FACT THAT IT IS STILL AN ESSENTIALLY CAPITALIST CLUB BENT ON MAINTAINING FREE TRADE AND HEALTHY PROFITS. THEREFORE, ANY ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION IS SECONDARY TO THE PRIMARY GOAL OF CREATING WEALTH. THE FUTURE REMAINS AS UNCLEAR AS THE AIR OVER MUCH OF EUROPE.