Environmental protection is the government effort to keep air, water, land, and wildlife clean and healthy. It relies on laws passed by Congress, rules written by agencies, permits for businesses, and enforcement when limits are broken. The EPA leads at the national level, and states, tribes, and local governments carry out much of the work.
An independent team explaining how government works
Microsoft, Amazon, and Google are preparing to spend nearly $700 billion on artificial intelligence data centers in 2026. Most of that money won't build anything for…
The U.S. is in the middle of a major energy transition. Wind turbines now dot the landscape from the Great Plains to the Atlantic coast. But…
Decisions about offshore oil and gas drilling—whether to sell new leases, hold sales, or ban development—are not made by a single person or agency. They are…
The National Environmental Policy Act may sound like bureaucratic jargon, but this 50+ year-old law gives ordinary Americans extraordinary power over federal projects that affect their…
Environmental Laws covers the major statutes that protect the environment and public health.
Environmental Impact Review (NEPA) covers the study of environmental effects before a project goes forward. Environmental Permits and Enforcement covers how permits are granted and how limits are checked and enforced.
The Council on Environmental Quality, or CEQ, operates with a modest staff and budget. However, it wields significant influence as the President's principal environmental…
In the late 1960s, the nation that put humans on the moon watched helplessly as rivers caught fire and cities choked on smog. Before…
The story of environmental policy in the United States reveals persistent tension between protecting the nation's air, water, and natural resources and promoting economic…
The contents of each recycling bin go on a journey through a vast, interconnected, and often turbulent system of high-tech facilities, volatile global markets,…
Every day, Americans generate a staggering amount of trash. From morning coffee cups to evening food packaging, discarded items embark on a complex journey…
The National Climate Assessment sits somewhere between a scientific triumph and a political punching bag. Required by law, written by hundreds of experts, and…
Hundreds of military bases across America sit on poisoned ground. After decades of training exercises, weapons testing, and industrial operations, these installations harbor a…
The United States military controls an area of land bigger than Virginia. Across nearly 27 million acres, the Department of Defense runs what amounts…
When President Trump announced America's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017, it made global headlines. When President Biden rejoined it in 2021,…
The American economy runs on free market principles, where individual choices usually lead to efficient outcomes. But sometimes the market doesn't deliver what's best…
