Defining the Problem
Environmental and energy issues have always been the key orientation of American presidents (Kraft & Furlong, 2017). In 2009, Barack Obama signed into the “H.R. 1 – The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” (2009) intended to develop renewable energy. The focus of this bill on the technological aspect of environmental protection is seen in the allocation of funds on loan guarantees, grants for researchers, and the manufacturing of advanced systems.
May
Biblical Guidelines and Principles
The Bible does not explicitly propose an approach for environmental management. However, in the Scripture, it is written that all of God’s creations should be treated with equal respect (as cited in Kipkemboi, 2017). Hence, this principle can be extended to the issue of renewable energy. It allows concluding on the necessity to develop its new sources and improve the existing technologies to ensure their proper handling in accordance with Christian morality.
Constitutional Guidelines
The initiatives for environmental protection in the United States have no constitutional underpinning. Their nature is statutory, but this fact does not affect the efficiency of adopted bills and their usefulness for the task (Burns, 2017). Hence, the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was based on a variety of similar successful projects that highlights the impact of people on this area.
Can
Political Feasibility
The public opinion on the development of renewable energy sources in the United States is positive. Such projects are supported by most Republicans and Democrats, which present no apparent challenges (“Public opinion on renewables and other energy sources,” 2016). They are developed not only by the government but also by the citizens who prefer using solar panels and wind turbines, and these actions should be further promoted (“Public opinion on renewables and other energy sources,” 2016).
Financial Feasibility
The cost of the bill related to renewable energy and other environmental technologies development was estimated at $68.4 billion (“H. R. 1,” 2009). The proposed initiatives included fossil fuel research, a smart electricity grid, advanced battery systems, and loans for similar projects (“H. R. 1,” 2009). The described allocation of funds demonstrates the feasibility of spending with consideration of limits (Eastman, 2011). The experts claim that, at the time of the passage, the national debt of $19 trillion was not an obstacle (Bryan, 2016).
Practical Feasibility
There are many new projects corresponding to the provisions of the Act regarding energy. One of them is the development of a new kind of supercapacitor without carbon, which implies less harm to the environment due to the lack of chemicals (Chandler, 2016). These initiatives correspond to the necessity to pay particular attention to this field emphasized by Switch Energy Alliance (“Inspiring an energy-educated future,” n.d.). Hence, the challenge of the creation of new environment-friendly methods while considering manufacturing needs can be addressed through such bills.
Should
H.R. 1 reflects the May portion of the paper by ensuring the correspondence to the Biblical and constitutional principles. The Can part of the analysis adds to the practical implementation of the Act by highlighting its support by political parties and citizens and the necessity to provide grants and loans for researchers. It also contains information on current projects such as the development of supercapacitors without carbon and their usefulness from the perspective of environmental organizations. To address the needs of all actors in the matter highlighted by political, financial, and practical feasibility, the government should expand similar initiatives under the adopted Act.
References
Bryan, B. (2016). The US government’s $19 trillion debt isn’t a problem. Business Insider.
Burns, K. (2017). Constitutions & the environment: Comparative approaches to environmental protection and the struggle to translate rights into enforcement. Web.
Chandler, D. L. (2016). New kind of supercapacitor made without carbon. MIT News.
Eastman, J. C. (2011). Enough is enough: Why general welfare limits spending. Heritage Foundation, 13(4).
H.R. 1 – The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. (2009).
Inspiring an energy-educated future. (n.d.).
Kipkemboi, L. D. (2017). Environmental stewardship: Biblical theology as a basis for ecclesial participation. African Multidisciplinary Journal of Research, 2(1).
Kraft, M. E., & Furlong, S. R. (2017). Public policy: Politics, analysis, and alternatives (6th ed.). CQ Press.
Public opinion on renewables and other energy sources. (2016).