INTERNATIONALENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AND GLOBAL SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS.
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Global environmental problems involve one or more ofthe following:
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<![if !supportLists]>1.<![endif]> Deforestation
<![if !supportLists]>2.<![endif]> Desertification
<![if !supportLists]>3.<![endif]> Rapid Population Growth
<![if !supportLists]>4.<![endif]> Food Production and Equitable Distribution
<![if !supportLists]>5.<![endif]> Global Warming
<![if !supportLists]>6.<![endif]> Depletion of the Atmospheric Ozone
<![if !supportLists]>7.<![endif]> Acid Precipitation and Air Pollution
<![if !supportLists]>8.<![endif]> Ocean Pollution
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Characteristicsof International Environmental Problems:
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<![if !supportLists]>1. <![endif]>Many of the internationalproblems involve the use of common pool resources - air, water, ocean andforests – that are owned by no one nation.
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<![if !supportLists]>2. <![endif]>Human and environmentalimpacts of the problems transcend the borders of any one country. Impacts ofsuch problems as acid precipitation, ozone depletion and air pollution are notfelt at only within countries where the problems are often created.
<![if !supportLists]>3. <![endif]>International EnvironmentalProblems require international Cooperation to resolve them
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Factors Responsible for the Emergence of theEnvironment as a Global Issue
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<![if !supportLists]>1.<![endif]>The Multiplication and Deepening of Environmental Problems. The rapid growth inpopulation and its effects on resource exploitation has led to the emergence ofmany environmental problems. Problems such as deforestation, air pollution,acid precipitation and oil spills have become a common sight. Many people haveexperienced the effects of human activities on the environment such as theimpacts of toxic waste dumping at Love Canal, New York and the Chernobylnuclear fall out.
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<![if !supportLists]>2.<![endif]>Improvement in Scientific Research: Anincrease in scientific research on environmental problems has contributed tomuch richer and by no means, a complete understanding of several environmentalproblems. The work of Rachel Carlson on DDT educated the public on theconsequences of chemicals.
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<![if !supportLists]>3.<![endif]>Effective Dissemination of Information about Environmental Disasters: The advent of radio and television, e-mails and the web, bookpublishing and air transportation brought about very efficient way ofdisseminating either environmental problems occurring at far away locations ornew materials (films, books and research) about environmental education.
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<![if !supportLists]>4.<![endif]>The Rise and Establishment of Grassroots Environmental Organizations: In responding to localenvironmental problems caused by toxic waste dumping, citing of nuclear plantsor the preservation of plant and animal species, the door to door campaigns oflocal groups have galvanized into strong internal forces that have madeenvironmental problems an issue in local politics and elections.
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<![if !supportLists]>5.<![endif]>The rise of National and International Environmental Political (Green)Organizations: Environmentalism has become a dominantpolitical force in many nations. In many Western countries, environmentalconcern has manifested itself in the development of Green Movements and GreenPolitical Parties to challenge the environmental management policies ofestablished political parties. Beginning first in West Germany in the 1970’s,Green parties have sprung up all over the world including Brazil, Costa Rica,Japan, Canada, Soviet Union, United States (Barry's Commoner's Citizens Party1980) to press for solutions to global environmental problems. Candidates fromGreen parties have been elected into parliaments in Switzerland, (first in1979) Finland, Belgium, Portugal, West Germany (1983), Luxembourg (1984)Austria (1986) Italy (1987), Sweden (1988), and the Netherlands (1989).
<![if !supportLists]>6.<![endif]>Evolution in thinking about Relationships between Economic Activity andthe Environment. With increased research onenvironmental issues and effective dissemination of such research findings, thepublic and some politicians have come to understand the relationship betweeneconomic activities and environmental problems.
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<![if !supportLists]>7.<![endif]>International Environmental Conferences: The meeting of world leaders at international environmentalconferences have highlighted common environmental concerns and sought togalvanize local environmental groups into action.
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INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS AT ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT:
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1. 1972 Stockholm’s Conference: World Leaders met in Stockholm,Sweden for the United Nations Conference on Human Environment. The Stockholm Conference led to theestablishment of UNEP (United Nations Environmental Program) to negotiateenvironmental treaties among nations and to help implement them.
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2. June 1992 Rio Conference on the Environment: the second United NationsConference on the Human Environment - known as the Rio Earth Summit -was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. More than 100 heads of state andthousands of public officials and more than 1,400 accreditedNon-governmental Organizations (NGO's) from 178 nations met to developplans for addressing environmental issues.
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3.2002 Johannesburg’s Conference on the Environment. The third InternationalConference on the environment was held in Johannesburg, South Africa in thesummer of 2002.
LIMITATIONS ON INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTALAGREEMENTS.
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<![if !supportLists]>1.<![endif]>InternationalEnvironmental Treaties bind only those states that agree to comply with them.
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<![if !supportLists]>2.<![endif]>Thereis no international police force to enforce such agreements and as such,compliance to provisions and obligations of such treaties depends on the goodfaith of the states being regulated by the treaties. There are generally norewards or punishments to check compliance.
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<![if !supportLists]>3.<![endif]>Leadersof Rich and Poor countries share different perspectives on the nature ofenvironmental problems and often fail to agree on the danger that could resultfrom environmental disasters. For example, at the Rio Conference of 1992, Poordeveloping countries emphasized development and Global equity Concerns whilethe rich Industrialized countries emphasized issues related to InternationalGovernance of the Environment.
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<![if !supportLists]>4.<![endif]>Theenvironmental problems and solutions that leaders of various countries chooseto support or ignore depend upon environmental politics within their countries.For example, in 1992, George Bush's government did not support many of theissues on the Environment raised at the Rio Conference because the localConservative Agenda was pro-Industry and the President could not afford toloose the Conservative Base during an impending presidential election in theUS.
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<![if !supportLists]>5.<![endif]>ThePolitics of local environmental Issues often Conflict with that ofInternational Politics on the Environment. a) In the less developedcountries, illiteracy, poverty, hunger and internal conflicts influenceand/or limit domestic perception of environmental problems. b) In the richcountries, private managers of corporations wield far-reaching powers overstakeholders and employees and therefore make decisions that affect the publicwithout any clearly defined responsibility to the people. Corporate managersalso wield a lot of influence on politicians and public policy by virtue oftheir ability to make political campaign contributions. Aside the campaigncontributions, the powerful Corporate Managers lobby Congress and Senate topass laws that favor Industry against the Environment.
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<![if !supportLists]>6.<![endif]>Localevents and internal politics compel leaders to commit to different stands priorto such international conferences on the environment. The countries often failto reach agreements on such pre-formulated principles without first seekingadvice from home.
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<![if !supportLists]>7.<![endif]>Thecountries of the world have markedly different perspectives about the attentionthat global environmental problems must receive as against the economic andsocial problems at home.
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<![if !supportLists]>8.<![endif]>Therich and poor countries of the world do not agree on who must takeresponsibility for causing environmental problems we face today, and how thecost of addressing the environmental problems should be shared.
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RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE RICH POWERFUL NATIONS:
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These countries have had more experience with environmentalproblems and solutions to such problems. Extensive research has revealed theseriousness of environmental problems. The widespread of television, radio andthe press have ensured the dissemination of good and bad environmental problemsand issues. The rich nations also have more resources and technology to spareand hence devote some to environmental priorities. Environmental activism is alsomore developed in the rich countries where environmental interest groups oftenmobilize public opinion and lobby politicians to attend to environmentalproblems. The rich developed countries must therefore do more to solveenvironmental problems. However, internal environmental policies and thecommitment of leaders in the rich countries depend upon the thrust of publicopinion against hard lobbying by corporations. In many cases however, industryhas won and international commitment to the environment has suffered.
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RESPONSIBILITIESOF POOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
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Leadersof the poor countries of the world seem less enthusiastic about GlobalEnvironmental governance for the following reasons:
<![if !supportLists]>1.<![endif]>Economicdevelopment is of much higher priority for their people than the preservationof the environment. It seems polluted air and contaminated water is a price thepoor countries are prepared to pay to industrialize and produce enough food tofeed their people.
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<![if !supportLists]>2.<![endif]>Thepoor developing countries view the strong motivation of the rich nations inEnvironmental preservation with suspicion. The see the effort in that directionas; An excuse to cut down on development assistance to them, An attempt toprevent them from industrializing to the same level as the rich nations haveachieved already (as contained in the Club of Rome's report "Limits toGrowth"). An excuse for people in rich nations to continue with theirluxurious life styles without making any sacrifice to save the environmentwhile at the same time they force the poor to sacrifice their development tosave the planet.
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<![if !supportLists]>3.<![endif]>Thepoor countries have very few resources and very low levels of technology todevote some to saving the environment.
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<![if !supportLists]>4.<![endif]>Developingcountries are saddled with heavy foreign debts, weak markets for their goodsand declining terms of trade that compel them to exploit more of their forestsand natural resources to import essential goods (health, education, technology,food etc) needed by their people.
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<![if !supportLists]>5.<![endif]>Rapidlygrowing population and poor economies in these countries necessitate furtherexploitation of resources and hence the deepening of environmental degradation.
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<![if !supportLists]>6.<![endif]>Manyof the projects that destroy the environment of poor developing countries(logging, mining, big ranch farms etc.) are carried out by corporations andwith financial assistance from the rich, developed countries of the world.
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