232
are unable to cover their own energy expenses. Finally, nonprofit organizations,
such as the Salvation Army and religious institutions, have long provided funds to
low-income individuals for basic commodities such as food and utilities on a request
or application basis, filling gaps left by government programs.
While a universal human right to FEW resources remains elusive for now, growing awareness in some academic and policy circles points to the problems that arise
in the absence of such rights, and may help pave the way to a more hopeful and
stable future. One example is the growing prevalence of international conferences
and publications centered on energy poverty. A concept hardly used a decade ago,
energy poverty has become a common theme among social scientists concerned
with energy and energy access. Similarly, the relatively new notion of food deserts,
at least as applied in countries that otherwise enjoy relatively high degrees of
development (as measured by GDP, for example), such as the USA, suggests a
growing awareness among scholars, activists, and decision-makers that not everyone
has similar access to affordable, nutritious food. The nearly universal outrage over
the Flint, Michigan water crisis and nationwide concern of harmful algal blooms
portend changes in the way we think about water management.
It is telling, perhaps—damning, even—that these three concepts reflecting governments’ failure to guarantee a human right to FEW resources are gaining political
traction now that it is clear they apply in more-developed countries, not just in some
remote “Third World,” where they have long existed. Clearly, national and international governing structures need to make giant strides toward improving human
well-being around the world, including access to reliable and affordable FEW
resources.
Key Points
• In the USA, most laws that address food, energy, or water are directed at protecting or promoting the development of one resource or the other.
• US laws generally do not target the interactions among critical consumable
resources like water, energy, and food.
• In some cases, laws devoted to energy development or conservation, optimizing
food production and safety, or efficient use and conservation of water require
intentional considerations of the impact on the other nexus resources. However
current legal structures requiring a given law regulating energy, or food, or water
to explicitly analyze and address the implications for the other resources are ad
hoc, rather than systematic.
• At the federal level, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) provides a
mechanism for consideration of the environmental and social externalities of
federal actions, and state analogs to NEPA similarly constrain state actions.
• Municipalities may implement local land-use laws that have significant impacts
on food, water or energy—such as zoning laws and "Right to Farm" laws.
• State and local governments can play a significant role in raising awareness and
educating the public about the FEW nexus, thereby increasing support for local
laws that recognize connections among FEW resources.
B. Kinne and D. Magee
are unable to cover their own energy expenses. Finally, nonprofit organizations,
such as the Salvation Army and religious institutions, have long provided funds to
low-income individuals for basic commodities such as food and utilities on a request
or application basis, filling gaps left by government programs.
While a universal human right to FEW resources remains elusive for now, growing awareness in some academic and policy circles points to the problems that arise
in the absence of such rights, and may help pave the way to a more hopeful and
stable future. One example is the growing prevalence of international conferences
and publications centered on energy poverty. A concept hardly used a decade ago,
energy poverty has become a common theme among social scientists concerned
with energy and energy access. Similarly, the relatively new notion of food deserts,
at least as applied in countries that otherwise enjoy relatively high degrees of
development (as measured by GDP, for example), such as the USA, suggests a
growing awareness among scholars, activists, and decision-makers that not everyone
has similar access to affordable, nutritious food. The nearly universal outrage over
the Flint, Michigan water crisis and nationwide concern of harmful algal blooms
portend changes in the way we think about water management.
It is telling, perhaps—damning, even—that these three concepts reflecting governments’ failure to guarantee a human right to FEW resources are gaining political
traction now that it is clear they apply in more-developed countries, not just in some
remote “Third World,” where they have long existed. Clearly, national and international governing structures need to make giant strides toward improving human
well-being around the world, including access to reliable and affordable FEW
resources.
Key Points
• In the USA, most laws that address food, energy, or water are directed at protecting or promoting the development of one resource or the other.
• US laws generally do not target the interactions among critical consumable
resources like water, energy, and food.
• In some cases, laws devoted to energy development or conservation, optimizing
food production and safety, or efficient use and conservation of water require
intentional considerations of the impact on the other nexus resources. However
current legal structures requiring a given law regulating energy, or food, or water
to explicitly analyze and address the implications for the other resources are ad
hoc, rather than systematic.
• At the federal level, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) provides a
mechanism for consideration of the environmental and social externalities of
federal actions, and state analogs to NEPA similarly constrain state actions.
• Municipalities may implement local land-use laws that have significant impacts
on food, water or energy—such as zoning laws and "Right to Farm" laws.
• State and local governments can play a significant role in raising awareness and
educating the public about the FEW nexus, thereby increasing support for local
laws that recognize connections among FEW resources.
B. Kinne and D. Magee