College of
Business
Administration
College of
Business
Administration
Environmental Regulation
Readings:
*Article 21 - Readings Packet
*Chapter 10 - Restoring the Guardian , "The Ecology of Commerce", Hawken, Paul
*Articles tacked to Prof. Dunn's Door (very short articles):
"Tangling With the EPA, New York Times, July 27, 1995
"Are Regs Bleeding The Economy?", Business Week, July 17, 1995
Questions:
1. In the article entitled "Into the Fast Lane", GM has signed up to voluntarily report on its environmental efforts/progress.
What do you think has motivated GM to make this commitment?
Judging from the tone of the article, does GM have anything to gain by participating?2. The article regarding a realignment of fines imposed on polluters ("A Warning Shot To Scare Polluters Straight") suggests fine severity could be mediated by a polluter's history of environmental protection efforts.
Could this be a motivation for companies joining organizations such as CERES or does the annual reporting requirement of these organizations make such membership dangerous by providing a paper trail?3. Paul Hawken's Chapter on "Restoring the Guardian" suggests a fundamental flaw in our system that hampers movement toward a balance between commercial interests and governance interests.
Do you agree with his assessment and if so, where does the effort to achieve a balance come from (society, government, business)?
If the impetus is to come from government, what consideration should it give business?
If the market should set the framework, how does it truly account for the concerns of society?
Can you think of other methods to achieve the desired result of a growing economy with positive environmental impact?4. What are the benefits or dangers of Hawkin's suggestion that regulations should be scraped in favor of "green taxes"?
Is such a plan, considering our society's aversion to "taxes", possible to implement?
How could it work in the current global trade movement?
As a national phenomenon, would it handicap US business in the global market?5. "Tangling With the EPA" and "Are Regs Bleeding The Economy?" present two different interpretations of the Cost/Benefit analysis approach to regulation.
Where do you stand?
If you're opposed, would you understand the necessity of mortgaging your business to put in a culvert?
What should be the considerations behind or tests applied to environmental regulation?Note: There will be a speaker at the beginning of class from the EPA's new local office to give an overview of EPA's relationship with business as well as environmental issues on the border.
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