Sustanibility Exam 2 and 3

Paris Agreement

A legally binding international treaty on climate change aimed at limiting global warming.

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

Plans outlined by countries detailing their emission-reduction and adaptation strategies.

Long-Term Low-Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS)

Voluntary strategies submitted by countries to guide long-term climate planning.

Greenhouse gases

Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF)

A system implemented to track global progress on mitigation and adaptation efforts.

Resilience and Adaptation

Strategies employed to prepare for and respond to climate impacts.

Global Warming Response Act (GWRA)

New Jersey legislation setting emissions targets.

Inflation Reduction Act (2022)

The largest climate investment in the U.S., providing tax credits for renewable energy and electric vehicles.

Executive Order

A directive issued by the President to manage the operations of the federal government.

Mitigation efforts

Actions taken to reduce the severity of climate change effects.

Invasive Species

Organisms that proliferate quickly and are difficult to remove, adding to the stewardship burden.

Stewardship

The responsible management and care of parkland, which can involve limited funds and options.

Frederick Law Olmstead

Founder of Landscape Architecture, designer of NYC's Central Park, and advocate for green spaces in urban settings.

Farmland Preservation

A program aimed at permanently preserving prime agricultural land for future agricultural uses.

Ecosystem Services

Benefits provided by ecosystems to humans, including clean water, pollination, and climate modulation.

Natural Capital

The world's stocks of natural assets including geology, soil, air, water, and all living things.

Watershed Management

An approach that considers entire interconnected watershed systems to protect water quality and integrity.

Zoning

A method of land use planning used by local governments to regulate land use and development.

Eminent Domain

The right of a government to take private property for public use, with compensation.

Climate Resiliency

The ability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to gradual changes and extreme weather events due to climate change.

Sustainability

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Endangered Species Act

A law passed in 1973 aimed at protecting species at risk of extinction and their habitats.

Invasive Species

Non-native species that, when introduced, can cause harm to the economy, environment, or human health.

Habitat loss

The destruction or alteration of natural environments, leading to a decrease in biodiversity.

Conservation

The responsible management of natural resources to prevent exploitation, destruction, or neglect.

National Park Service Organic Act

Legislation enacted in 1916 that established the National Park Service to manage and protect national parks.

Agroforestry

A land management system that integrates trees and shrubs with crops and livestock.

Climate Resiliency

The capacity of a system to adapt to changes in climate to minimize potential damages.

Farmland Preservation

Programs aimed at maintaining and protecting agricultural land from development or degradation.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in the world or a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Public Recreation

The use of public lands for leisure and recreational activities.

Ecological Health

The condition of an ecosystem in relation to its ability to maintain diversity, productivity, and resilience.

Critical Habitat

Areas designated under the Endangered Species Act as essential for the conservation of endangered and threatened species.

Over-consumption

The use of resources at a rate faster than the earth can replenish them.

Original Species

Species that evolve or exist naturally in a particular ecosystem without human intervention.

Policy Measures

Regulations and laws aimed at managing resources and protecting the environment.

Public Lands Management

The administration of public lands within the United States, involving responsible stewardship of resources.

Environmental Justice

Fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, in the development and enforcement of environmental laws.

Pollution Burden

The adverse effects of pollution that disproportionately fall on marginalized communities.

Executive Order 12898

A 1994 order that directs federal agencies to integrate environmental justice into their missions and actions affecting minority and low-income populations.

Justice40 Initiative

A federal commitment to ensuring that 40% of climate and clean energy benefits go to disadvantaged communities.

Superfund (CERCLA)

A program established to clean up the nation's most hazardous waste sites.

EJ Siting Law

A New York law that prohibits permits that create a disproportionate pollution burden on disadvantaged communities.

New Jersey Environmental Justice Act

A 2020 law requiring environmental impact statements to evaluate effects on overburdened communities prior to permitting.

Environmental Justice Alliance (NJEJA)

A statewide coalition in New Jersey focused on advocacy, organizing, and policy work related to environmental justice.

Civil Rights Act Title VI

A section of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits discrimination in programs receiving federal funds, including environmental programs.

Disproportionate Impact

A situation where certain communities face greater environmental hazards and risks compared to others.

Solid Waste

Any discarded material that is not liquid or gas and requires proper disposal or recycling.

Sham Recycling

A practice that falsely claims to recycle materials but does not achieve legitimate recycling outcomes.

RCRA

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; a federal law governing the disposal of solid and hazardous waste.

Legitimate Recycling

Recycling that meets specific criteria to ensure materials are reused in an environmentally safe manner.

Corrective Action

Cleanup processes for past and present releases from waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities.

Environmental Indicators (EI)

Metrics used to track progress in controlling human exposure and groundwater migration from contamination.

Human Exposures Under Control

An environmental indicator ensuring that humans are not exposed to harmful contaminants.

Migration of Contaminated Groundwater Under Control

An environmental indicator that assures contaminated groundwater does not spread to other resources.

CERCLA

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; U.S. federal law for cleaning up hazardous waste sites.

Liability under CERCLA

Legal responsibility for cleanup costs associated with hazardous waste contamination.

Toxicity

The extent to which a substance is harmful.

Hazard

The risk of exposure to a substance.

Ubiquitous

Present everywhere in the environment.

Glyphosate

A widely used herbicide that has been associated with various health issues.

Epidemiological Study

A study that investigates the patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease conditions in defined populations.

TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act)

A federal law enacted in 1976 aimed at regulating the introduction of new or already existing chemicals.

RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act)

A prevention program that sets national standards for proper waste management.

CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act)

A federal law aimed at cleaning up sites contaminated by hazardous substances.

Hazardous Waste

A waste that has properties that make it dangerous or potentially harmful to human health or the environment.

EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)

The U.S. federal agency responsible for protecting human health and the environment.

Administrative Law

Rules, regulations, and decisions created by executive agencies to implement statutory law.

Case Law

Law developed through judicial rulings.

Common Law

Traditional law derived from customs and judicial decisions rather than statutes.

Regulations

Rules established by administrative agencies to govern conduct.

Statutory Law

Laws enacted by legislative bodies, such as Congress or state legislatures.

Judicial Review

The power of courts to assess whether a law is in compliance with the constitution.

Public Trust Doctrine

A principle asserting that the government holds certain resources in trust for the public.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

A U.S. law that requires federal agencies to consider the impact of regulations on small businesses.

Federal Register

The daily journal of the U.S. government that contains proposed and final regulations.

Adjudication

The legal process by which an arbiter or judge reviews evidence and argumentation to make a decision.

NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act)

A U.S. environmental law that requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions.

Chevron Deference

A principle whereby courts defer to an agency's interpretation of a statute it administers, as long as it is reasonable.

Administrative Procedure Act (APA)

A U.S. law governing the process by which federal agencies develop and issue regulations.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The U.S. federal agency tasked with regulating and enforcing national pollution control laws.

Department of the Interior

A U.S. government department responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land.

Dawes Act of 1887

Legislation aimed at assimilating Native Americans by allotting them individual plots of land.

Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council

A significant case concerning the interpretation of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the application of Chevron deference.

Chevron deference

A legal principle that courts should defer to reasonable agency interpretations of ambiguous statutory terms.

New Source Review

A process required by the Clean Air Act to evaluate major sources of air pollution.

Bubbling concept

A method of treating all emitting devices in an industrial plant as a single source of pollution.

Ambiguous statutory terms

Terms in a statute that are not clearly defined, allowing for agency interpretation.

D.C. Circuit court

The court that ruled against the EPA’s interpretation before the case went to the Supreme Court.

Two-step Framework

The judicial review framework for evaluating agency interpretations based on whether Congress addressed the issue clearly.

Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo

A recent case that overruled the Chevron doctrine, changing how courts handle agency interpretations.

Administrative Procedure Act

A federal statute that governs the way administrative agencies of the federal government may propose and establish regulations.

Major questions doctrine

A principle that mandates caution in interpreting statutes that have broad economic and political significance.

Clean Power Plan (CPP)

A former policy aimed at regulating CO2 emissions from power plants, repealed under the Trump administration.

Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule

The rule that replaced the CPP, aimed at regulating emissions without stringent guidelines.

Regulatory rollback

The reduction or elimination of regulatory laws or administrative rules.

Regulatory capture

A situation where regulatory agencies are dominated by the industries they are supposed to regulate.

Neoliberalization

An economic principle advocating for free-market policies and reduced government intervention.

Purpose of Regulation

To improve public welfare, ensure safety, and reduce harmful exposures.

Stakeholders

Individuals or groups that may be impacted by regulatory changes or proposed rules.