When it comes to environmental protection, states do not tend to share the same priorities. Although there are some states with impressively strong programs, most are still mired in the middle of the pack. In fact, a new study reveals that states in the 1990s are far from what they were in the 1960s.
Among the states that made the grade, a recent Institute for Southern Studies study shows that nine of the strongest states in the green category had the highest economic growth, while the twelve laggards did not. This means that states are increasingly weighing the costs and benefits of a robust environmental protection program against other more pressing concerns.
In the long run, state and local governments face a dilemma similar to that of the federal government. While they might be able to assemble the ingredients for a good recipe, they may not have the resources to put it all together. Fortunately, some states have learned from the past 25 years and are starting to move in the right direction.
However, the biggest challenges remain. Increasingly scarce federal funds and a dwindling pool of skilled workers mean states will need to do more than just comply with the law. The good news is that some state and local politicians have a keen sense of what their voters want. Sometimes, they will go the extra mile to earn your vote.
Another important factor is how well their economies are performing. States that are in the midst of a recession are likely to support fewer environmental programs. That said, the federal government’s environmental initiatives have been successful at encouraging conservation on large tracts of federal land. Nonetheless, the next generation of environmentally conscious policies will have to tackle widely dispersed sources of pollution.
