ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the laws that govern the environment and energy. It focuses on the specific environmental and energy regulations. Other key regulations that affect green businesses include intellectual property, taxation, general corporate regulations, and others. Much of the foundation for today’s environmental and energy regulatory scheme was enacted in the 1970s. Specifically, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Environmental Quality Improvement Act, the National Environmental Education Act, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were all enacted or created in that decade. The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) outlines the EPA’s authority to regulate certain chemical substances or mixtures other than food, cosmetics, and for example, TSCA allows for regulation of such chemicals as polychlorinated biphenyls, asbestos, radon, and lead-base paint. The chapter shows what may lay ahead for the regulation of carbon through a variety of climate change regulatory proposals.
