As a result of the lack of policy mandates and capacity to fully test chemicals as they come to market, complete toxicological screening data are available for only 7 percent of the more than 84, 000 chemicals currently registered for use.

FORBES: New Government Breast Cancer Report Calls for Focus on Prevention, Study of Environmental Risk Factors

But the EU reversed policy and lowered biofuel mandates in recognition of the questionable environmental benefits of converting food to fuel and the impact on food prices.

FORBES: Feds Could Lessen Drought Impacts But Don't Bet The Farm On It

Taking these super wicked problem characteristics into account, requires a new way of framing climate policy solutions: less talk of mandates and higher energy costs and more talk on building competitive clean energy solutions that all Americans (and the rest of the world) can implement.

FORBES: Obama Emerges As A Born-Again Climate Hawk. Now What Can He Do?

As I noted in the earlier commentary, a lot of the existing mandates are dubious as a matter of policy, but the health insurance mandate is not.

FORBES: Health Insurance Mandate/Penalty is Just Another Tax

ObamaCare drives up the cost of insurance by piling mandates and required coverage benefits onto every single policy.

FORBES: Higher Health Insurance Premiums This Year? Blame ObamaCare

Rather than legal mandates, I think the difference may lie more in the personalities involved in making policy.

FORBES: Fed's Brave Steps Contrast with ECB's Inertia