As Applied to Environmental Issues

 

1. Since pollution does not remain confined within national borders, there are numerous environmental concerns that must be addressed by the interna­tional community: issues such as air pollution (the "greenhouse effect," acid rain, and radioactive fallout); water pollution (ocean dumping, oil spills, and contaminant runoffs, such as pesticides); soil erosion (often caused by over­grazing or the clear-cutting of all trees and most vegetation); and the degradation or extinction of plant and animal species.

2. In June 1992, delegates from more than 120 nations met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Rio Summit). The summit generated several documents that were intended to greatly affect the planet's environment. One of them is the Rio Declaration, a short statement that outlines 27 principles linking environmental protection and economic development. All these principles for convenience may be grouped together and classified into (i) general principles of international law, as applied to environmental issues; and (ii) principles of environmental law in the strict sense. The distinction is, however, not always clear, as far as all these principles are deeply interrelated.

3. The general principles of international law, as applied to environmental issues, are as follows:

4. The principle of state sovereignty:

– “States have, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law, the sovereign right to exploit their own resources pursuant to their own environmental and developmental policies, and the responsibility to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of other states or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.”

5. The principle of peaceful coexistence:

– “Peace, development and environmental protection are interdependent and indivisible. ”

– “States shall resolve all their environmental disputes peacefully and by appropriate means in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.”

– “ Warfare is inherently destructive of sustainable development. States shall therefore respect international law providing protection for the environment in times of armed conflict and cooperate in its further development, as necessary.”

6. The preventative principle:

The duty inherent in this principle is a moral obligation to prevent, reduce and control transboundary environmental harm. All members of the international community are under an obligation not to cause damage to the environment beyond their jurisdiction. “States shall take all measures necessary to ensure that activities under their jurisdiction or control are so conducted as not to cause damage by pollution to other states and their environment, and that pollution arising from incidents or activities under their jurisdiction or control does not spread beyond the areas where they exercise sovereign rights.”

7. The principle of access to information and to justice:

– “States shall immediately notify other states of any natural disasters or other emergencies that are likely to produce sudden harmful effects on the environment of those states. Every effort shall be made by the international community to help states so afflicted. ”

– “States shall provide prior and timely notification and relevant information to potentially affected states on activities that may have a significant adverse transboundary environmental effect and shall consult with those states at an early stage and in good faith.”

– “States shall facilitate and encourage public awareness and participation by making information widely available. Effective access to judicial and administrative proceedings, including redress and remedy, shall be provided.”

8. The principle of cooperation:

– “States and people shall cooperate in good faith and in a spirit of partnership in the fulfillment of the principles of environmental law and in the further development of international law in the field of sustainable development.”

– “States shall cooperate in a spirit of global partnership to conserve, protect and restore the health and integrity of the Earth's ecosystem.”

– “States should cooperate to promote a supportive and open international economic system that would lead to economic growth and sustainable development in all countries, to better address the problems of environmental degradation. Environmental measures addressing transboundary or global environmental problems should, as far as possible, be based on an international consensus.”

 

основные источники информации: 1) Emerson R.W. Business Law: Business Review Books. 4-th ed. New York: Barron’s Educational Series, 2004; 2) http://www.un.org/documents/

 

8.2.1. Слова из текста:

confined – ограниченный, изолированный

radioactive fallout – радиоактивные осадки

oil spills – разливы нефти

contaminant runoff [kən'tæmınənt 'rʌnɒf] – утечка (слив) вредных веществ

pesticide – пестицид, химическое средство для борьбы с вредителями

over­grazing – чрезмерный выпас, выбивание пастбища

clear-cutting – сплошная рубка леса

extinction – вымирание, исчезновение, уничтожение

interrelated – взаимосвязанный

interdependent – взаимозависимый

indivisible – неразделимый, единый

warfare – война, военные действия

inherently destructive – сама по себе разрушительная сила

preventative principle – принцип профилактической работы, принцип предотвращения опасности

incident – происшествие, случай, инцидент

natural disaster – стихийное бедствие, природная катастрофа

emergencies – аварийные случаи, чрезвычайные происшествия

afflict – причинить страдание, задевать, беспокоить, огорчать

public awareness – общественная осведомлённость

public participation – участие общественности

redress – возмещение, компенсация (убытка, ущерба)

conserve = preserve – беречь, охранять природу, сберегать, сохранять

supportive – поддерживающий, благоприятный, оказывающий поддержку

8.3. Выполните следующие задания:

1) Прочитайте и переведите текст.

2) Составьте 5 ‘специальных вопросов’ к тексту, используя информацию из Приложения 3 с комментариями о структуре вопросительного предложения в английском языке. Будьте готовы в ходе занятия задать другим студентам свои вопросы по содержанию прочитанного текста.