Pick A Policy

Title page

Policy for happiness

Environment policy

Government policy on environment protection is linked to happiness. This reflects the need for meeting the greatest challenge of the time. Climate change has adverse impacts on society as a whole and it reflects inequality. As the climate conditions are deteriorating the state can take actions for ensuring climate protection because it is linked to the welfare of the people. The human rights bandwagoning is focused on climate protection, having positive impacts on society. The policy measures that emphasize on illuminating ways for deploying green technologies and eliminating exploitative practices such as excessive water pollution or selling of plastic promotes human rights that leads to their happiness.

The American policies focused on protecting the environment include Solar energy projects and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (2009) and clean power plans discussed by Trump in 2018. The green policy of American is "about gradually eliminating those factors which lead to suffering and cultivating those which lead to happiness" (Lama and Clutter 1998). Such policy measures are effective in establishing affinity and goodwill. This makes people feel that the state is engaged in actions that restrict bad actors from taking personal gain by harming the environment (Daniel and Nicholson 2009). This is because the policy on climate change stresses keeping the environment protected from negative humans activities, it promotes human welfare by improving the quality of air and water.

The Green Power Plan emphasize reducing carbon pollution by making it a legal and moral obligation of the people. American state has invested huge amounts for promoting the green plans. The policy also aims at switching from fossil fuels to solar and other renewable projects. The environmental and climate policy has a direct relationship with the happiness of every American citizen. This is because clean air, clean water and pollution free environment are linked to improved health status and quality of life. People who are healthier and enjoys a good life are more likely to stay happy. This reflects that the policymakers can research on how environmental policies can contribute to the happiness of the entire population. Derek explains, “in a democracy, political leaders are representatives of the citizenry; they are elected to promote the welfare of the people, not to impose their own conception of an exemplary life” (Derek 2010). This indicates that the leaders have an obligatory duty to formulate policies in a way that the address the concerns of the entire population.

The improved environment also minimizes the health diseases associated with pollution such as respiratory problems and asthma. This reflects that such policies have a positive impact on improving the health status of the people. Such practices are important for eliminating inequality such as by restricting firms from using fossil fuels that could harm the health of humans by generating carbon dioxide and toxic gases (Daniel and Nicholson 2009). The state policy also restricts firms from exploiting the water resources that again leads to environmental protection and citizens happiness. Climate policies thus work for the maximization of welfare for the maximum number of people.

The overall analysis of the argument depicts that government policy on the environment and climate has a strong correlation with citizens’ happiness. The policies on climate change stress on protecting the environment from negative human activities. This enhances the quality of air and water that is linked to improved quality of life. collective happiness remains the clear outcome of environment-related policies because they neglect individual gains such as excessive profits made by international organizations.

References

Chong, Daniel and Simon Nicholson. 2009. “Framing Climate Change: How a Human Rights Approach Affects Climate Policy.” Presented at the annual meeting of the ISA-ABRI Joint International Meeting, July 22, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Retrieved April 13, 2019

(http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p40061_index.html).

BIBLIOGRAPHY Derek, Bok. 2010. The Politics of Happiness: What Government Can Learn from the New Research on Well-Being. Princeton University Press.

Lama, Dalai., & Cuttler, H. Clutter. 1998. The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living. Riverhead Books.