Government Regulation

by Margaret Culver and Yuyuan Pan

Approach 1 holds that as Americans we are consuming vital resources at an alarming rate, and that if nothing is done in the immediate future, there will be consequences. It also argues that individual efforts are not enough to curb this consumption and the best way to attack this issue is through government regulation which includes but is not limited to: tax incentives, rationing, and surcharges.

What might be done:

• Government can increase prices of precious resources, that are being over-used, at a national level
• Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County can use incentives to encourage energy-efficient appliances and automobiles in local businesses
• State College Borough could ration water or limit the amount of trash they are willing to collect
• Citizens of Centre County must put the environment ahead of their needs and choose products, that are manufactured using clean practices
• Businesses in Centre County can organize a meeting together to discuss ways to reduce their footprint collectively

Consequences and Trade-offs:

• Centre County has a lot of rural areas outside State College that will be affected worse than the town. People who are already struggling to pay gas and food prices will be hit even harder
• This means that competing businesses will have to collaborate, and there will be extra money spent
• The Country Clubs and Penn State golf courses may suffer as a result of decreased water
• Citizens do not like others making choices for them, and it will limit the products they can purchase
• Reducing impact will cause higher operating costs.

What are your thoughts?