Environmental Policy

Protecting the environment is, above all, a moral responsibility. This country is our inheritance, but it is the birthright of future generations. We are not owners of the land, but stewards of it.

It is also a deeply practical concern.

From rising cancer rates linked to air and water pollution to the intensifying threat of wildfires, floods, and extreme heat, the consequences of inaction are being felt across communities, industries, and ecosystems. The United States has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2035. That is a timely but achievable goal that offers economic opportunity, public health gains, and long-term resilience. This paper outlines the roots of the crisis and the policy steps necessary to build a healthier, safer, and more secure future for all Americans.

Some readers may be tempted to stop reading at the mention of climate change. Before turning away, please read this section.

Let us set climate change aside for a moment and talk about something everyone can recognize: old-fashioned water pollution. Years ago, the Cuyahoga River in Ohio was so contaminated with oil and chemical waste that it actually caught fire. A river on fire. It is hard to imagine how polluted water must be to ignite, or how anyone allowed it to get that bad in the first place. The answer is simple: money.

• In the absence of clear environmental standards, companies prioritized cost efficiency. Without legal or financial pressure to prevent pollution, harmful practices were the norm.
• Politicians often backed down in the face of claims that stronger environmental protections would threaten jobs. This is a familiar pattern: regulations are labeled “job killers,” and elected officials retreat from their responsibilities.

The fire was a national embarrassment. It sparked outrage, led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and inspired the Clean Water Act. For the first time, businesses were required to account for the environmental damage they caused. Their pollution had to be included in the price of doing business.

That was in 1969. In Ohio.

Unfortunately, they are not.

• Air pollution: In 2025, the American Lung Association ranked Indianapolis the 11th-worst metro area in the country for year-round particle pollution. The state ranks 19th for ozone and 45th for short-term particulates. These statistics represent real health risks, including asthma attacks, heart disease, and reduced life expectancy.
• Water pollution: Indiana leads the nation with over 25,000 miles of polluted rivers and streams. The Grand Calumet River is one of the most contaminated in the entire Great Lakes region. In Kokomo, vinyl chloride in the groundwater has triggered Superfund status, a designation for sites of extreme chemical danger.

And once again, the root cause is the same: money. To keep their costs low, industry is targeting the EPA.

• It hires lobbyists to argue that regulations are “overreach.”
• It pressures Congress to cut the agency’s enforcement budget.
• It installs leadership at the EPA that is actively working to weaken it.

Lee Zeldin, the current EPA Administrator, was appointed with a clear mission to weaken it. He has begun rolling back rules, restructuring the agency, and reducing its scientific workforce. Recent results include:

• 388 probationary employees were fired in early 2025.
• Up to 1,155 scientists at risk of layoff, more than 75 percent of the EPA’s research division.
• Over 300 career staff resigning in protest.
• Net reduction: nearly 2,000 staff in less than a year.

Pollution is always about shifting costs from a company’s books onto the public. These costs end up in our lungs, in our water, and in our children’s future.

This is not a new tactic. The first Surgeon General’s warning that smoking was dangerous came out in 1964. Yet some schools still had student smoking areas almost 20 years later. It took so long because tobacco companies used every tool at their disposal to delay action: phony science, expert witnesses, fake grassroots groups, and denial. They insisted that smoking was not harmful, especially not to children. And for years, people believed them.

The same thing happened with lead in gasoline. It took decades to remove it. Industry used the same playbook: fund fake science, discredit real scientists, and claim economic catastrophe if change occurred. They warned that removing lead would destroy cars, kill jobs, and crash the economy. None of that happened. They lied, because the lie protected their profits.

Today, fossil fuel companies are using the same strategy to discredit climate science. They cast doubt, manipulate public opinion, and flood the media with distractions. The tactics have not changed. The excuses have not changed. The goal has not changed.

What has changed is the scale. Today, what is at stake is not just millions of dollars but $8.32 trillion in annual fossil fuel revenue. And as history shows, when someone has that much to lose, they will do everything in their power to keep it.

Let us not be fooled again.

The core failure in our environmental policy is this: polluters do not pay for the damage they cause. The real cost of fossil fuels, including cancer, asthma, agricultural losses, and climate instability, is paid by the public while companies profit. That is a market failure. The price of pollution appears in hospital bills, insurance premiums, property damage, and reduced productivity, not in corporate financial statements. This allows pollution to continue, because there is no direct financial incentive to stop.

We have tools to fix this. But powerful interests have delayed or blocked progress.

• Carbon Pricing
  Carbon taxes and cap-and-trade systems assign a cost to emissions. These approaches encourage cleaner alternatives by making polluters pay. Industry lobbyists and misinformation campaigns have weakened or defeated most of these proposals.
• Clear and Consistent Standards
  Fuel economy rules, emission limits, and clean air laws are effective when implemented. Unfortunately, these standards are frequently rolled back under political pressure.
• Subsidy Reform
  Fossil fuels still receive billions in government subsidies. A fair market would redirect these funds toward renewable energy. That shift remains blocked by entrenched interests.
• Legal Accountability
  Some states and cities have sued polluters to recover damages. Legal complexity and corporate resources make progress difficult and slow.
• Transparency and Disclosure
  Requiring companies to report emissions and risks helps markets and communities make informed decisions. Voluntary frameworks are not enough. Rules must be enforceable.

Until pollution has a cost for polluters, clean alternatives will remain disadvantaged. This is not a technology problem. It is a political one.

• Accelerate Renewable Energy
  • End fossil fuel subsidies.
  • Invest in wind, solar, geothermal, and local energy options.
  • Modernize the grid.
• Ensure Clean Air, Water, and Soil
  • Replace lead pipes and upgrade water systems.
  • Enforce pollution limits near schools and neighborhoods.
  • Fund farmland conservation and soil health.
• Restore Ecosystems and Protect Land
  • Reforest, conserve wetlands, and restore native habitats.
  • Safeguard biodiversity and natural flood protections.
• Prioritize Environmental Justice
  • Target cleanup in overburdened communities.
  • Require cumulative harm analysis for new projects.
  • Fund local-led air and water monitoring.
• Build a Green Economy
  • Support jobs initiatives in infrastructure and restoration.
  • Expand training for renewable and conservation sectors.
• Reduce Waste and Expand Recycling
  • Set national recycling standards.
  • Incentivize composting and reusable packaging.
  • Build regional recycling infrastructure.
• Expand Civic Engagement and Oversight
  • Require corporate environmental disclosures.
  • Expand public access to data and hearings.
  • Promote environmental education and local input.