Date of Defense

11-20-2003

Department

Geosciences

First Advisor

Dr. Lynne Heasley

Second Advisor

Dr. Thomas Bailey

Abstract

The concept known as a 'green plan' to most of the world is a comprehensive, legally mandated program of environmental protection and restoration of a particular place. To be effective in reversing degradation, a green plan must cover all environmental problems in a designated area. It must also ensure that any action benefiting one sector of the environment will not injure another. In concept, green planning is the path that must be taken to effectively respond to environmental decline. Prominent and successful green plans have been accomplished on the national level, serving as national environmental strategies. The National Environmental Policy Plan (NEPP) of the Netherlands is one such model green plan. Many consider it "the world's most advanced national program for creating an economy that doesn't destroy the environment" (Steffen and Atkisson, 1995). Unlike other established green plans in, the organization of the NEPP revolves around environmental themes, including climate change and waste disposal. The thematic approach organizes and simplifies complex issues, allowing the public to grasp the big ideas and to develop solutions to pressing environmental problems. A thematic approach takes a multitude of relationships into consideration. The NEPP is therefore comprehensive, integrating multifaceted systems, such as water, air, and energy, with social factors like economics and carrying capacity. It also provides insight into the causes and effects of interrelated environmental problems (Bressers and Plettenburg, 1997). By combining sector, as well as place-based approaches to integrated environmental protection, the NEPP stands out worldwide as the most theoretically sophisticated national environmental initiative to date (Beardsley, Davies, and Hersh, 1997).

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Campus Only

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