Regulating the Great Indoors | The Regulatory Review
Regulating the Great Indoors The Regulatory Review
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Regulating the Great Indoors: An Emphasis on Sustainable Development Goals
Scholar argues that environmental law and policy should expand its scope to inside areas.
Introduction
Americans spend nearly 90 percent of their days indoors. Yet, existing environmental regulations do not cover indoor areas. This begs the question: How safe is the air we breathe inside our own homes?
Expanding Environmental Law and Policy
In a recent paper, Arden Rowell, a professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, argues that effective environmental law and policy should include not only the outside world, but also the inside world.
Most current environmental law and policy echoes popular beliefs about what constitutes the environment—the natural, outside world. Environmental legislation itself, however, does not usually specify that the environment it seeks to regulate is solely the outdoor environment. For example, the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act aims to regulate the “human environment” with no signifiers that the environment constitutes the outdoors alone.
In Rowell’s conception of the environment, land is not devoid of its status as a part of the environment after four walls are built on it. Rowell defines the environment as “an interconnected whole.”
The Patchwork System
Rowell describes various instances where indoor environmental quality issues emerge and are handled only by a “patchwork of legal approaches and theories” that fill in the gaps. She explains that indoor environmental quality issues are covered by other approaches, including tort law, property law, and landlord and tenant law, and by various different federal and state actors.
This patchwork includes regulation by agencies that traditionally do not enforce environmental protections but supplement with indoor air quality recommendations and standards. Organizations, such as the World Health Organization, which issued guidance about harmful indoor air pollutants from gas stoves, are another part of the patchwork of law and policy for indoor areas.
And tort law also functions to protect consumers’ indoor environment, providing a means through which consumers or residents can seek recourse for harms caused by environmental quality issues.
The Need for Comprehensive Regulations
Rowell argues, however, that this patchwork system is insufficient to ensure safe indoor environments. Instead, she proposes the adoption of comprehensive environmental regulations at the federal level that specifically address indoor air quality.
Rowell suggests that lawmakers should amend environmental statutes to incorporate indoor spaces. She hopes that traditional environmental law experts and environmental researchers can work together with legislators to establish indoor environmental quality standards and regulations.
Rowell concludes that environmental laws that fail to regulate indoor spaces are ineffective at protecting humans from certain environmental hazards. As the outdoor environment becomes increasingly hostile to human life, regulating indoor air quality is integral to protecting human health.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
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SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.
- Indicator: Number of deaths and illnesses attributed to indoor air pollution.
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SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
- Indicator: Indoor air quality in residential buildings.
Analysis
The article highlights the need for environmental law and policy to expand its scope to include indoor areas. It discusses the lack of regulations covering indoor environments and the potential risks to human health from indoor air pollution. Based on this information, the following analysis can be made:
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
The issues discussed in the article are connected to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. SDG 3 focuses on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. SDG 11 aims to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
Based on the article’s content, the specific targets that can be identified are:
- Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.
- Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
The article mentions indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:
- Number of deaths and illnesses attributed to indoor air pollution (Indicator for Target 3.9)
- Indoor air quality in residential buildings (Indicator for Target 11.6)
These indicators can be used to assess the impact of regulations and policies on reducing deaths, illnesses, and improving indoor air quality.
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination. | Number of deaths and illnesses attributed to indoor air pollution. |
| SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities | Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management. | Indoor air quality in residential buildings. |
Copyright: Dive into this article, curated with care by SDG Investors Inc. Our advanced AI technology searches through vast amounts of data to spotlight how we are all moving forward with the Sustainable Development Goals. While we own the rights to this content, we invite you to share it to help spread knowledge and spark action on the SDGs.
Fuente: theregreview.org
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