For a long time, U.S. environmental policy, at least at the federal level, has been characterized by a hostile relationship between regulators and the regulated community. The result has been an endless stream of litigation that has benefitted lawyers, often at the expense of the environment. This would reduce the stream of litigation and allow even the lawyers to be more productive. The foremost measure of the quality of our environment is human health and well-being. A policy cannot be good for the environment if it is bad for the people.
Natural resources are resilient and dynamic and respond positively to wise management.
The most promising new opportunities for environmental improvements lie in protecting and extending private property and in unleashing the creative powers of the free market. Ownership inspires stewardship. We must work to decouple conservation policies from regulation or government ownership. Our efforts to reduce, control, and remediate pollution should achieve real environmental benefits. The learning curve is Green.