But sometimes environmental politics are about real differences. Often businesses save millions by emitting a bit more pollution. To make backyard or civic environmentalism work, the federal government must not only offer regulatory flexibility but also put up cash. The Chesapeake Bay program, for example, is sustained partly by a powerful Maryland senator who sits on the EPA appropriations subcommittee. The trend toward civic environmentalism is unstoppable.
Citizens do demand answers that fit local conditions.
New monitoring technologies help supply the information needed to measure performance and ensure accountability. Congress may be ready to invest billions of federal budget surpluses in protecting lands and water. But there is a long way to go. Statutes offer little encouragement to customized local problem-solving. Engineers and lawyers skilled in drafting and defending detailed prescriptive regulations still dominate agencies.