Communication Practices by Way of Permits and Policy: Do Environmental Regulations Promote Sustainability in the Real World?

Communication has played a key role in the development and evolution of the postmodern environmental movement since its emergence in the late 1960s. Today, the sense of urgency surrounding environmental degradation and the human contribution to this has only escalated, with environmentalism no longer viewed as a radical concept. The Construction General Storm Water Permit (CGP) stems from federal regulations, which were enacted to regulate and manage the release of construction-related pollutants into storm water. To study the efficacy of the CGP in the real world, the author conducted a targeted case study with four environmental professionals who work within California's construction community, and who have some degree of experience or expertise in working with the CGP and its requirements. This project involved examining the concept of sustainability as it is communicated by environmental regulations.