Showing papers on "Environmental law published in 1981"

Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable Future

Abstract: (Most chapters end with Review Questions, Thinking Environmentally, Making a Difference and Web References). Preface. 1. Introduction: Sustainability, Stewardship, and Sound Science. The Global Environmental Picture. Three Unifying Themes. Ethics: What Is the Stewardship Ethic? Earth Watch: Agenda 21. I. ECOSYSTEMS AND HOW THEY WORK. 2. Ecosystems: Units of Sustainability. What Are Ecosystems. The Structure of Ecosystems. Global Biomes. Implications for Humans. Ethics: Can Ecosystems Be Restored? 3. Ecosystems: How They Work. Matter, Energy, and Life. Principles of Ecosystem Functions. Implications for Humans. Global Perspective: Lights and Nutrients: The Controlling Factors in Marine Ecosystems. Earth Watch: Biosphere 2. 4. Ecosystems: Population and Succession. Popular Dynamics. Mechanisms of Population Equilibrium. Disturbance and Succession. Implications for Humans. Ethics: The Dilemma of Advocacy. Earth Watch: An Endangered Ecosystem Act? 5. Ecosystems and Evolutionary Change. Selection by the Environment. Selection of Traits and Genes. Changes in Species and Ecosystems. Plate Tectonics. Evolution in Perspective. Ethics: Selection: Natural and Unnatural. Earth Watch: What Is a Species? Earth Watch: Preserving Genes for Agriculture. II. THE HUMAN POPULATION. 6. The Human Population: Demographics. The Population Explosion and Its Cause. Different Worlds. Environmental and Social Impacts of Growing Populations and Affluence. Dynamics of Population Growth. Earth Watch: Are We Living Longer? Ethics: The Dilemma of Immigration. 7. Addressing the Population Problem. Reassessing the Demographic Transition. Development. A New Direction for Development: Social Modernization. The Cairo Conference. Global Perspective: Fertility and Literacy. Ethics: Additional Incentives for Reducing Fertility. Earth Watch: An Integrated Approach to Alleviating the Conditions of Poverty. III. RENEWABLE RESOURCES. 8. Soil and the Soil Ecosystem. Plants and Soils. Soil Degradation. Addressing Soil Degradation. Ethics: Erosion by Equation. Global Perspective: Three-Strata Forage System for Mountainous Drylands. 9. Water: Hydrologic Cycle and Human Use. Water-A Vital Resource. The Hydrologic Cycle. Human Impacts on the Hydrologic Cycle. Sources and Uses of Fresh Water. Overdrawing Water Resources. Obtaining More Water. Using Less Water. Desalting Sea Water. Storm Water. Water Stewardship. Earth Watch: Water Purification. Global Perspective: The Death of the Aral Sea. Global Perspective: The World Water Forum. 10. The Production and Distribution of Food. Crops and Animals: Major Patterns of Food Production. Food Distribution and Trade. Hunger, Malnutrition, and Famine. Global Perspective: World Food Summit. Ethics: The Lifeboat Ethic of Garret Hardin. 11. Wild Species: Biodiversity and Protection. Value of Wild Species. Saving Wild Species. Biodiversity. Earth Watch: Return of the Gray Wolf. Global Perspective: Biodiversity: Essential or Not? 12. Ecosystems as Resources. Biological Systems in a Global Perspective. Conservation and Preservation. Biomes and Ecosystems under Pressure. Public and Private Lands in the United States. Earth Watch: Nature's Corporations. Earth Watch: Will Aquaculture Be Able to Fill the Gap? IV. ENERGY. 13. Energy from Fossil Fuels. Energy Sources and Uses. The Exploitation of Crude Oil. Other Fossil Fuels. Sustainable Energy Options. Ethics: Trading Wilderness for Energy in the Far North. Earth Watch: Cogeneration: Industrial Common Sense. 14. Nuclear Energy: Promise and Problems. Nuclear Power: Dream or Delusion? How Nuclear Power Works. The Hazards and Costs of Nuclear Power. More Advanced Reactors. The Future of Nuclear Power. Ethics: Showdown in the New West. Earth Watch: Radiation Phobia? 15. Renewable Energy. Principles of Solar Energy. Putting Solar Energy to Work Indirect Solar Energy. Additional Renewable Energy Options. Policy for a Sustainable Energy Future. Earth Watch: Economic Payoff of Solar Energy. Ethics: Transfer of Energy Technology to the Developing World. V. POLLUTION AND PREVENTION. 16. Environmental Hazards and Human Health. Links between Human Health and the Environment. Pathways of Risk. Risk Assessment. Ethics: The Rights of Smokers? Global Perspective: An Unwelcome Globalization. 17. Pests and Pest Control. The Need for Pest Control. Promises and Problems of the Chemical Approach. Alternative Pest Control Methods. Socioeconomic Issues in Pest Management. Public Policy. Ethics: DDT for Malaria Control: Hero or Villain? Global Perspective: Wasps 1, Mealybugs 0. 18. Water: Pollution and Its Prevention. Water Pollution. Eutrophication. Sewage Management and Treatment. Public Policy. Earth Watch: Monitoring for Sewage Contamination. Earth Watch: The Algae from Hell. Ethics: Cleaning Up the Flow. 19. Municipal Solid Waste: Disposal and Recovery. The Solid-Waste Problem. Solutions. Public Policy and Waste Management. Earth Watch: Regionalized Recycling. Ethics: Affluenza: Do You Have It? 20. Hazardous Chemicals: Pollution and Prevention. Toxicology and Chemical Hazards. A History of Mismanagement. Cleaning Up the Mess. Management of New Wastes. Looking toward the Future. Earth Watch: The Case of the Obee Road NPL Site. Ethics: Environmental Justice and Hazardous Waste. Career Link: Daniel S. Granz, EPA Environmental Engineer. 21. The Atmosphere: Climate, Climate Change, and Ozone Depletion. Atmosphere and Weather. Climate. Global Climate Change. Depletion of the Ozone Layer. Ethics: Stewardship of the Atmosphere. Global Perspective: Coping with UV Radiation. 22. Atmospheric Pollution. Air Pollution Essentials. Major Air Pollutants and Their Impact. Sources of Pollutants. Acid Deposition. Bringing Air Pollution under Control. Taking Stock. Global Perspective: Mexico City: Life in a Gas Chamber. Earth Watch: Portland Takes a Right Turn. Earth Watch: The Clean Air Act Brings a Windfall. VI. TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE. 23. Economics, Public Policy, and the Environment. Economics and Public Policy. Resources and the Wealth of Nations. Pollution and Public Policy. Benefit-Cost Analysis. Politics, the Public, and Public Policy. Earth Watch: Green Fees and Taxes. Global Perspective: The World Trade Organization. 24. Sustainable Communities and Lifestyles. Urban Sprawl. Urban Blight. Moving toward Sustainable Communities. Epilogue. Ethics: The Tangier Island Covenant. Career Link: Brain Hopper, Environmental Law Intern. ABC Video Case Studies, Volume V. Appendix A: Environmental Organizations. Appendix B: Units of Measure. Appendix C: Some Basic Chemical Concepts. Bibliography and Suggested Reading. Glossary. Index.

Risk and benefit in environmental law

Abstract: Judicial review establishes whether the mandate of Congress is observed by an agency's rule-making mechanisms for setting environmental standards or other regulations. Central issues in risk assessment now include whether a risk is significant, what the burden of proof for significance is, how to resolve the tension between the effort to reduce hazardous exposures and the goal of efficient regulation, and precisely how and in what detail the costs of regulation must be measured. Under current regulatory statutes, there are several paradigms for balancing costs and benefits.

The environmental law of the sea

Abstract: The study consists of five chapters. The first three provide a historical overview of marine conservation, the fourth is devoted to analyzing regional approaches to the subject and the fifth provides conclusions and recommendations

Environmental Regulation and the U.S. Economy

Abstract: The relationship between governmental environmental regulations and the economy is examined in this book. The authors consider the available data and models describing the sources of economic difficulties as they are affected by environmental policies. They also discuss the effects of economic conditions on regulatory initiatives. Elements of regulatory policy which may have adverse effects on the economy are discussed and alternative approaches are suggested. One of the important elements is the conclusion that environmental policy and other social regulations are not the key elements to economic difficulties although their contribution must be recognized.

Life cycle costing by state governments

Abstract: To encourage energy conservation, Congress established the State Energy Conservation Program under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA). This law authorized federal assistance to states for the preparation and execution of energy conservation plans. There are five mandatory measures required for participation in this assistance program, one of which is that each state adopt: ". . . mandatory standards and policies relating to energy efficiency to govern the procurement practices of such state and its political subdivisions."' A July 1979 evaluation of this requirement by the Environmental Law Institute for the U.S. Department of Energy, however, found that: ".... state and local energy efficient procurement programs, with few exceptions, have barely advanced beyond infancy. This article focuses chiefly on the activities of those governments which have been exceptions to this generalized observation. The principal energy efficient purchasing practice used by these governments is life cycle costing (LCC). Explanation will be made of how to perform LCC and what types of products lend themselves most readily to this practice. Next, there will be a discussion of the significant psychological, structural, and procedural barriers which make it difficult for both state and local governments to perform LCC. Finally, a number of suggestions will be offered as to how these barriers can be partially overcome.

Environmental Policy and Law

Abstract: HE growing concern with environmental quality and conservation T of resources has produced a pressing need for models, tools and techniques to be used in formulating public policy measures in this new field. Indeed, during the past decade or so, environmental problems have engaged the attention of political leaders, policy-makers, the intellectual community atid concerned individuals at both thc national and international levels. i'?ends irt Em-ironmcntal Policy arid LniP is D voluiiic that attcnipts to answer this need for policy instruments devoted to the environment. It is an anthology of cssays the main purpose of which is to describc and analyze a number of political, ccononiic atid legal tools and techniques aimed at providing guidelincs for coherent policy decisions for environmental protection. The anthology contains nineteen essays written by concerned university professors, and rescarch scholars from Western Europe, thc United States and India. The first two essays deal with a fundamental problcni in the realm of constitutional law; the authors scek to answer the question whether there should bc an individual and justiciablc right enforceable against the state, for a decent and healthy environment. The next two contributions focus on the economic dimensions of environmental protection with particular reference to the costs of pollution hbatement and financial incentives. The essay by Professor Hansmeycr analyzes the merits and demerits of the polluter pays principle and the common burden principle for formulating a viable environmental policy. Susan de Koch examines the financial incentives provided by the state for environmental protection in the private scctor. The ncxt three essays deal with basic issues of administrative decisionmaking and judicial review of environmental impact statements. Professor A. Kiss examines the process of notification and the issuance of licences as mechanisms of preventive control of projects with a potentially significant impact on the environment. Professor Wandesforde-Smith deals with thc concept of environmental impact statement whilc Lothar Guendling discusses the role of public participation in environmental decision-making. The essay by Professor Garner addresses the issue of land-use planning vis-a-vis environmental protection while Cyrille de Klemm devotes his contribution to an important strategy of preserving certain biotypes, i.c. the creation of eco-reserves. The essay by Professor Rehbinder deals with the regulation and marketing of environmental chemicals as well as the

The Milwaukee Pollution Case - Implications for Water Resources Planning

Abstract: The Illinois v. Milwaukee Federal District Court decision is the most far reaching application yet of the federal common law of nuisance to interstate water pollution conflicts. Although a Federal Appelate Court recently rescinded part of the district court decision, Milwaukee must still upgrade its metropolitan sewage system to a level beyond that required by federal and state regulations. The improvements must be completed with or without federal aid. The case points out the apparent inability of the Clean Water Act, the most comprehensive federal legislation affecting the nation's water quality, to deal with certain interstate water quality conflicts. The Milwaukee decision could set a precedent for similar settlements elsewhere which may in turn affect the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's water quality clean up program. A more integrated, ecosystem conscious approach to management of shared water resources (e.g., the Great Lakes) would help reduce the need for court decisions like Illinois v. Milwaukee.

Environmental Law and Politics

Abstract: The existing state of environmental law in New South Wales is examined. The primary focus is upon the complications caused by social, political and economic conflicts, and upon how these conflicts are reflected in the environmental decisions actually made.

An overview of risk-benefit analysis in environmental law

Abstract: This paper presents an overview of some of the issues and problems in using risk-benefit and cost-benefit analysis in environmental decision making.It addresses the difficulty in both assessing public health and environmental risks, and balancing those risks against actual and perceived economic benefits. The paper notes the prevalence of ''unreasonable risk'' as a putative guide to action in a number of statutory and common law constructs. The paper indicates that reliance on the concept of ''reasonableness'' does not resolve the fundamental societal disagreement over balancing risks and benefits. Therefore, the article suggests that efforts should be made to reduce the subjective nature of administrative and judicial decision making involving public health and environmental risks.

Promising a Process for Parity: The Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act and Andromous Fish Protection

Abstract: This article examines the pioneering Northwest Power Act of 1980, which revolutionized electric power planning in the Northwest and called for a fish and wildlife restoration program to compensate for losses sustained at the hands of Columbia Basin dams. The power plan gave priority to conservation measures and renewable resources, and the fish and wildlife program aimed to elevate fish and wildlife protection to be "a co-equal partner" with power generation. The act called for power revenues to fund fish and wildlife measure and established an interstate, regional council to carry out the statute's provisions. The statute gave the council and uncertain amount of authority over the federal agencies operating the world's largest interconnected hydroelectric system, particularly the Bonneville Power Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who must give "equitable treatment" to Columbia Basin fish and wildlife. The article explores the revolution in power planning and fish and wildlife protection the Northwest Power Act aimed to produce.

The Interdisciplinary Course in the Legal Aspects of Noise Pollution at Columbia University.

Abstract: From time to time thus far, four times in the past seven years we have given a 2-point, 1 -semester, course in the legal aspects of Noise Pollution, cross-listed for students in Columbia's Law and Engineering Schools.1 Our experiences may be of interest to others engaged in or contemplating interdisciplinary offerings in some aspect of environmental law or other fields involving relationships between law and science or technology. Although noise is used as the major source of environmental pollution in this course, the principles and methodology discussed apply, to a large extent, to other forms of environmental law.