Clean Air and Water Policies

Clean, abundant, unpolluted air and water resources are vital to the survival of life on our planet. Living things cannot survive for long without clean water and air and the efforts in the United States to protect these resources from harmful pollutants and over-exploitation have been extensive and are evolving. An investigation into the major policy tools used to protect our air or water in the U.S. will reveal if the various policy approaches have been effective and how they could be improved.

Select either the Clean Air Act or the Clean Water Act to research and write about. Do not write about both. Write a paper that describes the major provisions of and amendments to the act. The paper should also evaluate the overall effectiveness of the act in protecting our air or water resources. In addition, your paper should describe one social, one ethical, and one political problem associated with the act and then evaluate the effectiveness of the act in addressing the problems. Finally, the paper should include one recommended change to the act that would make it more effective.

The paper should be organized into the following sections:

1. IntroductionLinks to an external site. and thesisLinks to an external site..
2. Examination of either the Clean Air Act or the Clean Water Act:
   1. Describe the major provisions of and amendments to the act.
   2. Evaluate the overall effectiveness of the act in protecting our air or water resources.
   3. Describe one social, one ethical, and one political problem associated with the act.
   4. Evaluate whether the act has effectively addressed the social, ethical, and political problems described above.
   5. Recommend one change that would make the act more effective.
3. ConclusionLinks to an external site.

The paper must be four to five pages in length (excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing CenterLinks to an external site.. You must use at least four credible sources (at least two of which must be found in the Ashford University Library) other than the textbook to support your claims. Cite your sources in-text (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and on the reference pageLinks to an external site.. For additional information regarding APA samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center, located within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar, in your online course.