Environment & Poverty

Environment:

The issue on environment covers: energy, global warming, endangered species, pollutions vs. cost control, and federal lands. Energy contains: ANWR that is The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which is a protected area in Alaska that could supply oil and gas. It also includes Energy Conservation, which focuses on finding more efficient automobiles and appliances that do not require additional energy imports, or oil drilling. Lastly, the issue on energy includes the idea of alternative energy such as solar power, wind power, wave power, biomass power, and other alternative energy sources. Global warming contains the issues on global warming, climate change treaty, and Kyoto protocol. Most scientists believe that the greenhouse gases cause the rise in Earth’s temperatures, and that the government should regulate industry, and whether it will affect climate change. Endangered species contains issues on the endangered species ACT, which prohibits activities that harm endangered plants or animals or their environments. Pollution control vs. cost control, focus on the clean air act, the clean water act, and the CAFÉ standard, which required cars to maintain an average of 28 miles per gallon for all cars sold..

Poverty:
Individuals and families are considered impoverished if their pre-tax income falls below U.S. Census Bureau’s poverty threshold. The thresholds are based on two variables: the cost of the “economic food plan”, and evidence that a family of three or more send approx. one-third of their income on food. For example in 1963 the measure of the threshold for a family of four was $3,128 spent on food. Today the same family would need an income of more than $17,029 to be above the poverty line. Meaning in order to survive a family would need an income of three times the cost of the economy food plan. The poverty rate in 2005 was 12.6%. The poverty rate in 2005 for children under 18 was 17.6%. In 1995, 88% of poor children received food stamps, but by 1998 the number dropped to 70%.