Environmental Law and Policy

Environmental law and policy is designed to protect the ecosystem and its inhabitants. Due to increased development in the modern world, humans' impact on nature has become an important topic in recent years. Environmental law and policy seeks to prevent the harmful effects of human intervention on nature. This refers to both the physical state of the land, air, and water, as well as the quality of life for people and animals. Environmental law and policy refers to statutes that regulate: pollution, contamination, waste management, endangered species, and energy conservation. The government engages in a variety of enforcement techniques in order to ensure that the environment is being protected. Incentives for businesses, such as tax exemptions, are awarded to those companies who follow regulations and produce new techniques that protect the environment.

Environmental law and policy seeks to protect the environment, while still allowing for the freedom of citizens and commerce. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plays a large role in developing, promoting, and enforcing environmental law and policy. The EPA is a government agency that was established in 1970, and runs several programs educating the general public about energy conservation and pollution, among other environmental issues. Environmental law and policy have often received criticism from those who are opposed to the high cost of energy efficient practices. Despite this opposition, there has been great advancement in environmental law and policy since the 1970s.

Environmental attorneys are another group of individuals that play a part in enforcing and promoting environmental law and policy. Environmental attorneys are involved in cases where an individual or business is accused of violating legislation by polluting, or otherwise contaminating, some area of the environment. Environmental attorneys are skilled in the area of environmental law, and aid businesses in ensuring that they abide by all rules and regulations. The cost of violating environmental law and policy is monetarily high, as well as detrimental to nature. It is beneficial for a company to have an environmental attorney on staff that can aid them in ensuring all regulations are being met. This is especially important when expanding or developing new technology. An environmental attorney can advise the company of any changes that have been made to statutes. This happens frequently since new technology is always being development that can potentially prevent environmental decay. A business is also required to obtain licenses and certificates in order to take part in certain activities that could affect the environment. Environmental attorneys can aid their clients in preparing the paperwork and filing it with the appropriate court. It will also be the responsibility of environmental attorneys to inform their clients when these licenses need to be renewed. 

When an environmental policy is broken, it will often result in damages to a person's health. In this case, a plaintiff would be entitled to collect damages. Hiring an environmental attorney is necessary in building a case. The environmental attorney will have to prove that the plaintiff's injuries were caused directly by the action or inaction of the defendant. An environmental attorney will often attempt to prove that the defendant acted negligently by allowing a certain pollutant or toxin to affect the environment.