Environmental Law

Il presente lavoro descrive il nuovo diritto reale di conservazione ambientale recentemente introdotto nell’ordinamento giuridico cileno. Si analizzano gli aspetti critico-comparativi dell’istituto allo scopo di fornire i suoi elementi piú salienti nel quadro dell’implementazione delle misure di protezione della natura dalla prospettiva del diritto privato.

This paper describes the new in rem right of conservation recently introduced in the Chilean legal system. Critical comparative issues are emphasised to illustrate the most significant features of the new right within the framework of the implementation of measures to protect nature from the private law sphere.

Not-guilty verdicts, mistrials, and impunity for the Bundy family and many of their supporters in the armed confrontations over public land use in Nevada and Oregon. Expanded access for private oil, gas, mining, and logging industries and the downsizing of national monuments such as Bears Ears lead by Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. A number of highly contentious debates and sensationalized events have again focused attention on land held in the public domain by the United States. This essay argues that federal land policy as a form of colonial administration has been constitutive for the logic of expectation as property in what is now the United States. From the state land cessions negotiated on behalf of the Articles of Confederation to the preemption acts (1830–1841) to the homestead acts (1862–1916) to present-day demands for land transfer, the acquisition and disposal of the so-called public domain have been central to westward colonization, the consolidation of the nation-state, and the promise of land ownership as the ostensible foundation of individual liberty. These dynamics are evident in contemporary conflicts over public lands and arguments for the transfer of public lands to either state or private ownership. Approaching the Bundy occupations as flashpoints that illuminate competing interpretations and claims to land within the history of westward colonization, this essay seeks to demonstrate the ways in which expectation emerges from particular economies of dispossession of indigenous peoples that have historically worked through and across the division of public and private property.

„ Lucrarea de faţă îşi propune să analizeze aspecte teoretice, practice și juridice ce ţin de ariile naturale protejate, aplecându-ne mai cu seamă asupra studiului unei subramuri a materiei protecţiei mediului, şi anume conservarea biodiversităţii în ariile naturale protejate.
        Vom prezenta atât aspecte teoretice, dar şi juridice, ce ţin de regimul ariilor naturale protejate, cât şi aspecte practice, prin prezentarea concretă a unor speţe soluţionate în instanţele din România.
        Motivul alegerii acestei teme derivă din dorinţa de a apropia ştiinţa mediului, în speţă domeniul conservării naturii, de ştiinţele juridice, prima neputându-se aplica în mod optim fără concursul celei de-a doua.
... ”

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, held in June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, was probably the largest event in a long series of megasummits on environmental protection and sustainable development. Roughly 44 000 participants descended on Rio de Janeiro to take part in ten days of preparatory committee meetings, informal consultations, side events, and the actual conference. Yet despite this unprecedented high attendance by participants from governments and civil society, the outcome of the conference is less than many had hoped for. In this paper I review the outcomes of the 2012 Rio conference in detail, with a special focus on its contributions towards the reform of the institutional framework for sustainable development. Following this review, I discuss the way ahead and options for structural reform to restrengthen earth system governance.

El presente trabajo analiza la obra de Raúl Brañes, a la luz del derecho comparado. El objetivo del mismo es descubrir y describir las metodologías que fueron utilizadas por el autor en su obra, prolífica, de derecho ambiental latinoamericano. Para realizar tal análisis y su evolución, sus trabajos serán observados en relación con su tiempo y con las particularidades biográficas del autor, las cuales pueden resultar explicativas de parte de las opciones de estudio que va tomando. Veremos que el trabajo emprendido se topa en diversas ocasiones con una realidad muy probable: no hay una metodología preconcebida por el autor ni tampoco consistente en el tiempo. Esta dificultad, sin embargo, hace aún más interesante la valoración de sus obras, que fluyen conjuntamente con la propia creación y evolución de la rama del derecho ambiental en América Latina, donde Brañes es reconocido como uno de sus padres fundadores. 1. Su exilio y su época como consultor internacional. Raúl Brañes fue, en la Universidad de Chile, estudiante y luego profesor de Derecho Procesal 1 , hasta que en 1973 dejó el país para radicarse en México, exiliado por la dictadura 2. A esto alude implícitamente , en la dedicatoria que dejara escrita para su último trabajo, que se reproduce íntegra por ser inspiradora precisamente para quienes Brañes quizo incentivar:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was put in charge of managing native wild horses that reside on public lands in the United States. Since the passage of the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses & Burros Act, the BLM has twisted the law through a series of relabeling landmass in areas where the horses reside, and then managing them differently based on the label the area was given. This has resulted in nearly half the land given the horses being removed from the program, and the remainder is managed illegally using the mandate of multiple-use in the Federal Land Policy Management Act. The twisting and creation of new regulations have been an unconstitutional act against the original intent of the 1971 Act to protect this species. The result is that the BLM claims there are too many horses when in fact the pastures have been made too small.

The principal intention of the paper is to describe and comment on the key components of the Marine Coastal Area Act 2011 (“MCAA”) with regard to the commons, customary rights and decision making under the Resource Management Act 1991. During the process of the Marine and Coastal Area Bill through Parliament the author acted for Local Government New Zealand (“LGNZ”). The author advised on policy and legislative review, consultation with the Ministry of Justice and other Crown departments, and submissions to the Maori Affairs Select Committee. Our firm has also acted for local authorities in respect of a number of treaty settlements. Much of the work we have undertaken focuses on the implications of the MCAA, and other proposed settlement legislation, on issues of public interest and local government decision making. In this context the paper finishes by considering first the implications of the MCAA for other marine and coastal area users; secondly a hypothetical case study in which customary rights are implemented; and thirdly the potential influence the MCAA will have on local government decision-making and public participation under future settlement legislation.

The aim of this paper is to show the limits of the discretionary power that EU primary law provides for public authorities in determining the polluter in order to allocate the costs of pollution under the polluter pays principle. According to the ECJ, the polluter is a person who by his activity contributes to the risk that pollution occurs. Hence, public authorities may not classify someone as a polluter if he did not cause the pollution. Causation in the polluter pays principle can be compared to causation in civil liability. When the legislator predetermines the polluter in the legislation, he uses ex ante causal probabilities, but when public administrations or national courts identify the polluter in a concrete case they should use the condition sine qua non theory. This is confirmed by secondary legislation and case law, especially in the fields of waste management, environmental liability.

The  study  examined  the  legal  and  institutional  framework  for  combating  gas  flaring  in  Nigeria. The  study  considered  the  history,  function,  effect  of  oil  exploratory  activities  of  oil  companies  in Nigeria  having  caused  gas  flaring  resulting  in  loss  of  lives  and  properties  in  the  affected communities  where  gas  is  flared. The  study  relied  on  primary  and  secondary  sources  of  information.  The  primary  data  included statutes  and  case  laws.  Statutes  such  as  the  constitution  of  the  federal  republic  of  Nigeria  (as amended),  criminal  code  violations,  conventions  and  decided  cases.  The  secondary  sorces  of information  used  are  books,  journal,  articles,  newspaper,  reviews  and  the  internet. This  study  found  that  more  gas  is  flared  in  Nigeria  than  anywhere  else  in  the  world.  Estimates are  notoriously  unreliable  but  roughly  2.5  billion  cubic  feet  of  gas  associated  with  crude  oil  is wasted  in  this  way  every  day.  This  is  equal  to  40  percent  of  Africa’s  natural  gas  consumption  in 2001  while  the  annual  financial  loss  to  Nigeria  is  about  2.5  billion  dollars.  The  flares  have contributed  more  green  houses  gases  than  all  subs  Saharan  Africa  combined.  And  the  flares contain  a  cocktail  of  toxins  that  affect  the  health  and  livelihood  of  local  communities  exposing Niger  delta  resident  to  an  increased  risk  of  pre  mature  death,  child  respiratory  illnesses,  asthma and  Gas  flaring  have  been  condemned  severally  in  different  countries  of  the  world.  The  study  concluded  that  there  is  no  specific  legal  framework  that  prohibits  gas  flaring  in Nigeria  in  spite  of  the  environmental  problems  associated  with  it.  The  existing  law  that  appears to  regulate  gas  flaring  in  Nigeria  is  not  effective  as  it  does  not  completely  prohibit  gas  flaring  but only  provide  monetary  penalties  for  continued  flaring  of  gas  by  oil  companies  in  Nigeria.

The Clean Water Act has produced a tremendous amount of progress over the past forty years. Both municipal and industrial discharges have declined sharply, the loss of wetlands has been cut decisively, and water quality has broadly improved. Much more work, however, remains to be done. Not surprisingly, given the limits of human forethought and political capacity, the original statutory design was not perfect. Furthermore, the statute's implementation has not been perfect due, in large part, to often straitened budgets, instances of bureaucratic timidity and lethargy, and the hostility that some administrations and some Congresses have exhibited towards strong environmental protection. Although more robust administrative action can improve the effectiveness of the Act in a number of ways, it will take contressional action to fully address the jurisdictional, budgetary, and structural problems that are obstructing efforts to fully restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and ...

European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) was introduced in EU countries in the year 2005. Currently, the EU ETS is in operation for more than a decade; moreover, the European Commission adopted rules for the next 4th trading period in March 2018. The main goal of this article is to evaluate possible environmental impacts of EU ETS, mainly the impact of emission allowance price on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU28 countries as a whole. For this goal, (geo)visual analysis of spatial data, correlation and regression analysis are used. The results of the analysis show that the EU ETS contributes to the reduction of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU-28 countries as a whole, due to emission allowances price and period. Nevertheless, the influence of the way of emission allowances distribution is crucial for the desirable environmental impact. The extension of auctioning represents our key recommendation for the EU ETS. Úvod Evropský systém obchodování s povolenkami na emise skleníkových plynů (European Union Emissions Trading Scheme, dále jen "EU ETS") je hlavním nástrojem k plnění cílů EU v oblasti ochrany klimatu s cílem podpořit snižování emisí skleníkových plynů nákladově efektivním a ekonomicky účinným způsobem. Systém EU ETS byl zřízen směrnicí Evropského parlamentu a Rady 2003/87/ES ze dne 13. října 2003 o vytvoření systému pro obchodování s povolenkami na emise skleníkových plynů ve Společenství a o změně směrnice Rady 96/61/ES. V současnosti se jedná o největší obchodní systém pro emise skleníkových plynů na světě. Setkáme se rovněž s označením systému jako "cap-and-trade", který obecně funguje tak, že stanoví stropy pro celkové emise z odvětví, která produkují velké objemy emisí. V systému EU ETS strop omezuje emise více než 11 000 energeticky náročných podniků v celé EU a zahrnuje zhruba polovinu všech emisí skleníkových plynů. Na evropské úrovni není cílem systému EU ETS pouze snížit emise skleníkových plynů na stanovený strop, ale také nastavit tržní cenu uhlíku a finančně podpořit každou tunu ušetřeného CO 2ekv. Producenti emisí by tak měli být motivováni k uplatňování nákladově efektivních opatření na snížení emisí, přičemž tržní cena povolenky by měla podporovat investice do nízkouhlíkových technologií. Klíčovými otázkami v souvislosti se systémem EU ETS a zejména jeho účinností jsou: "Jaký je ve skutečnosti dopad celého systému? Má EU ETS opravdu vliv na emise CO 2 ?" Na uvedené otázky odpovídá tento článek.

RESUMO: O presente estudo analisa a abordagem complexa do meio ambiente, seus conceitos e interferências na governança ambiental. Para tanto, contextualiza o pensamento clássico reducionista que serviu de base para separar o ser humano (sujeito) da natureza (objeto) e resultou nas ideias do progresso material ilimitado e dos recursos naturais como simples insumos do desenvolvimento. Paralelamente, aborda o processo de transição para o pensamento complexo a partir da ecologia ao reconhecer a comunidade de seres vivos (biocenose) inserida em determinado espaço (biótopo) como um ecossistema, regido por profundas interações, interdependências, equilíbrios e desequilíbrios. No domínio do complexo, expõe como o ser humano é reinserido na totalidade da natureza, em relação de autonomia e dependência que pode ser analisada pela ótica dos Sistemas Socioecológicos. O conceito trata a sociedade e a natureza em relação complementar, e visa demonstrar como o meio ambiente é composto por diversos sistemas de recursos naturais, sistemas de usuários destes recursos, sistemas de governança, entre outros, estruturados para garantir, conjuntamente, o fluxo de serviços à sociedade e o bem-estar geral. Cada um destes sistemas experimenta os fenômenos das emergências e auto-organizações, que revelam a dinamicidade da abordagem complexa e extrapolam a previsibilidade de estados futuros pela observação de padrões pré-existentes do sistema, ou observação das suas partes constitutivas dissociadas do todo resultante, e vice-versa. Com isso, o estudo pretende enfocar a relevância da gestão das interações entre as partes dos Sistemas Socioecológicos, proposta como a pedra de roseta entre a teoria dos sistemas complexos adaptativos e a governança ambiental. A justificativa para esta abordagem decorre das premissas lançadas pela literatura, que apontam a heterogeneidade e a diversidade de interações como cruciais para a sustentabilidade e a manutenção da resiliência dos ecossistemas, diminuindo os eventuais estados de vulnerabilidade. Consequentemente, o problema da pesquisa decorre da ação humana enquanto principal vetor de desestabilização dos sistemas que compõem o meio ambiente, o que foi responsável por ultrapassar os limites planetários de resiliência no Antropoceno, em termos de perda de biodiversidade, mudanças climáticas e desestabilização do ciclo biogeoquímico do nitrogênio. Na segunda parte do estudo, a governança ambiental será investigada pela abordagem complexa, evidenciando-se as suas interferências na gestão dos ecossistemas no cenário globalizado. Com isso, aborda o regime internacional para a diversidade biológica, pelas diretrizes da Convenção sobre Diversidade Biológica assinada durante a Conferência das Nações Unidas sobre Meio Ambiente e Desenvolvimento (Rio-92), bem como a aparente insuficiência do Estado para exercer, isoladamente, a tutela ambiental no cenário complexo. Demais disso, conceitua a governança e a regulação pela participação de diversos atores da comunidade internacional, como os governos locais, as organizações da sociedade civil e os indivíduos, que dividem o mesmo plano dos Estados, para ação conjunta na formulação de políticas públicas e gestão eficiente dos ecossistemas. Com base nesses elementos, analisa se a governança policêntrica traz benefícios para a gestão das interações nos Sistemas Socioecológicos, com base nos conceitos de resiliência, vulnerabilidade e sustentabilidade, e visa aprimorar a visão da comunidade internacional quanto à eficiência e a justiça ambiental.

Corruption becomes an extraordinary act of punishment so that it
is necessary to impose the heaviest sentence. The bribery of
lobster seeds at the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries is
very sad when viewed from the glasses of the Law. This research
uses normative legal analysis by analysing and reviewing both
primary and secondary legal materials to obtain legal materials
relevant to legal issues that have been formulated in the study.
The results of this study are charged with imprisonment for life or
imprisonment of at least 4 (four) years and a maximum of 20
(twenty) years, and a fine of at least two hundred million rupiahs
and at most one billion rupiahs. The conclusion of this study is the
application of criminal enforcement for bribery perpetrators and
export licensees according to the provisions of the Corruption Act
for state organisers is considered not yet maximal because the
minimum illegal conviction period is five years.

The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze the various legal instruments protecting cultural landscape with an emphasis on areas with cultural and historical values, which are regulated by law in the field of state conservation in the Czech Republic. National law of the Czech Republic, although fragmented into several sections of the public administration (in particular the nature and landscape protection, heritage preservation, urban planning, land consolidation) offers a range of legal instruments to protect landscape, however, often it is only to protect the most valuable segments and elements. The most important legal instrument in the field of state conservation, which takes into account the protection of the landscape around the state and allows the implementation of the European Landscape Convention, is the concept of landscape conservation zones according to § 6 of the Act No. 20/1987 Coll., on the State Conservation, as amended.

Ekološki turizam u zaštićenim prirodnim područjima zahteva odgovorniji način ponašanja turista nego na drugim turističkim destinacijama, zatim visok stepen svesti o važnosti zaštite I održivog korišćenja životne sredine i znanje o osnovnim ekološkim procesima i prirodnim vrednostima posećenog mesta. Iskustvo je pokazalo da je blagovremena implementacija adekvatnih preventivnih mera najefikasnije sredstvo za sprečavanje ugrožavanja i uništavanja prirodnih staništa. Međutim, pojedini oblici nemarnog ponašanja zahtevaju primenu represivnih mera - sankcija propisanih odredbama krivičnog i prekršajnog prava, kao i uvođenje inovativnih zakonskih i praktičnih rešenja. U nastojanju da doprinesu smanjenju negativnog antropološkog pritiska na zaštićena prirodna područja, autori razmatraju mogućnost uvođenja novog, proširenog i redefinisanog pojma ekoturiste - "ekoturista zaštićenih prirodnih područja", koji bi, kao subject specifičnih prava i obaveza, posedovao posebnu dozvolu nadležnih organa za obavljanje pojedinih aktivnosti na ovim područjima.
Ključne reči: ekoturizam, ekoturista zaštićenih prirodnih područja, zaštićena prirodna dobra, propisi, dozvola

Using remote sensing technologies to ensure environmental protection responds to the need of protection of a right and a public good and interest. However, the increasing introduction of these technologies has raised new challenges, such as their interference with the rights of privacy and personal data, which are also protected fundamental rights. In this paper the importance of remote sensing technologies as tools for environmental monitoring and environmental law enforcement is analyzed, while legal issues regarding privacy and data protection from their use for environmental purposes are presented. Existing legislation for reconciling emerging conflicts is also examined and major European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) case law on the issue is approached. Finally, recent developments in Greek legislation and their application perspectives in environmental law are presented as a timely “case study”.

O presente artigo apresenta o enquadramento jurídico das políticas públicas de biodiversidade terrestre em Portugal. Começa por explicitar a importância da biodiversidade para o ser humano e a civilização, para depois passar a expor o enquadramento global aplicável, decorrente da necessidade de resolver a degradação da biodiversidade, que é um problema global. Aí expõe-se o percurso feito desde a Declaração de Estocolmo, em 1972, até à Cimeira da Terra, no Rio, onde foi assinado o documento central neste aspeto, que é a Convenção sobre a Diversidade Biológica. Depois de se apresentar a Convenção e a sua evolução posterior até às atuais Metas de Aichi, bem como outros instrumentos de Direito Internacional, passa-se ao nível regional europeu. Refere-se a Convenção Relativa à Proteção da Vida Selvagem e do Ambiente Natural na Europa, celebrada no contexto do Conselho da Europa e as políticas da UE nesta matéria, em especial a Rede Natura 2000. Passando ao nível nacional, expõe-se os condicionalismos resultantes da Constituição e da Lei de Bases do Ambiente, detendo-se com mais profundidade no Regime Jurídico da Conservação da Natureza e Biodiversidade. Por fim, apresenta-se o percurso da Estratégia Nacional de Conservação da Natureza e Biodiversidade atualmente vigente, fazendo-se uma análise crítica da mesma.
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This article presents the legal framework for public policies on terrestrial biodiversity in Portugal. It begins by explaining the importance of biodiversity for human beings and civilization, and then goes on to set out the applicable global framework, arising from the need to address biodiversity degradation, which is a global problem. It sets out the path taken from the Stockholm Declaration in 1972 to the Earth Summit in Rio, where the central document in this regard, the Convention on Biological Diversity, was signed. After the presentation of the Convention and its subsequent evolution towards the current Aichi Targets, as well as other instruments of international law, it moves on to the European regional level. This refers to the Convention on the Protection of European Wildlife and Natural Environment, concluded in the context of the Council of Europe, and EU policies in this area, in particular the Natura 2000 Network. Moving on to the national level, it sets out the constraints resulting from the Constitution and the Portuguese Basic Law on the Environment, looking in more depth at the Legal Framework for Nature Conservation and Biodiversity. Finally, a critical analysis of the current National Strategy for Nature Conservation and Biodiversity is presented.

В последнее время достаточно много упоминается, что экологическое состояние морской среды европейского региона находится под угрозой. Несомненно это требует эффективных действий от государств и народов. Охрана природоресурсного базиса является предварительным условием для достижения устойчивого благосостояния, а также обеспечивает занятость на океанах, морях и соответственно улучшение качества жизни. В связи с тем, что Европейское Сообщество стремится восстановить и оживить свою экономику, эффективная защита морской среды может быть значимым вкладом в данном случае 1. В частности, Морская политика Европейского Союза (далее-ЕС) нацелена «содействовать устойчивому использованию морей и охранять морскую экосистему» 2. Необходимость в таком изложении морской политики происходит из экономической, социальной и экологической значимости морских пространств в Европе...

The eighteenth meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal
Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea
(Consultative Process or ICP-18) convened from 15-19 May
2017 at UN Headquarters in New York. The meeting brought
together representatives from governments, intergovernmental
organizations, non-governmental organizations and academic
institutions to examine this year’s topic: “The effects of climate
change on oceans.”

A dynamic tension has long existed between those who would circumscribe the Earth's bounty for private use and those who would carefully allot and safeguard Earth's riches to satisfy human needs. The 1500-year old Public Trust Doctrine, and the much more recent movement to protect Environmental Human Rights, both express in law a belief that some resources should never be sequestered for private use, must be left for the public’s enjoyment, and must be stewarded by those in power. This paper explores the differences and synergies between the Public Trust Doctrine and Environmental Human rights, and explores how these doctrines constrain what counts as “private,” “property,” and “ownership,” with extensive analysis from the doctrines' uses in India, South Africa, California, and Pennsylvania.

The paper aims to overview the similarities and differences between the People’s Republic of China, the European Union (EU) and the Republic of Serbia (RS) regarding their membership in the international environmental agreements. At the beginning of the paper, the authors point out to the growing importance of international agreements in the field of environmental protection, as instruments of contemporary politics and environmental law. The focus is on global environmental issues and on international agreements in this area (climate change and ozone layer protection, water resources management, soil protection, biodiversity protection, hazardous chemicals and hazardous waste management, etc.). In the central part of the paper, the authors address the status of China, the EU and the Republic of Serbia in the most important international multilateral environmental agreements. The bases of the analysis are international multilateral agreements with the global character. The length of time required to become a party to certain international agreements of a global character is examined. The general framework of the discussion is determined; on the one hand, by the estimates that China is a country with serious environmental problems and, on the other hand, by the fact that the EU is one of the leaders in global environmental policy. The position of the RS, as a country candidate for the EU membership, is largely determined by the obligations regarding the harmonization of national regulations with the EU regulations, including ratification of a relevant international agreement in the field of environment. In conclusion, it is noted that there are no significant differences between China and the EU in terms of the length of time needed to become a party to the most important global international environmental agreements, but there are differences in terms of the several protocols and the speed of acceptance of amendments to several international agreements. Due to various circumstances, there are some differences in terms of the RS membership in international environmental treaties.

The purpose of this textbook is to teach real estate law not as some amalgamation of abstract, static legal concepts but, instead, to teach real estate law within the context of the dynamics of real estate development and finance, through a framework I have developed and refer to throughout the book as The Development Process. What is presented in this textbook is not what is taught in most American law schools, with curricula offering a range of individual, albeit related, topics, such as Real Property Law, Contracts, Federal Taxation, and Environmental Law, among others, that provide little context for law students as to how these disciplines intersect with and impact The Development Process.

Rather than offering in-depth discussions of law school subjects such as “servitudes” and “estates in land” in Real Property Law or “fraud in the inducement” in Contracts, this textbook instead offers a much broader treatment of real estate law as an overarching discipline impacting and driving the development and financing of real estate projects. This is done with considerable intention, to facilitate an understanding of the true breadth of the subject matter by graduate students seeking a master’s degree in real estate development and finance or an MBA with a concentration in real estate (to whom this textbook is specifically targeted), as well as to assist the real estate executive or professional in gaining a more comprehensive understanding of how real estate law impacts their endeavors.

Neither real estate development nor The Development Process is ever about just one thing: Real estate development is always about a thousand different things, big and small, occurring simultaneously; some within the developer’s control but many occurring independently of the developer and its project. Part of the allure, as well as the challenge, of real estate development—as a process and as a profession—is the need to keep a number of balls in the air at the same time, always knowing where each ball is and to where it is heading next. In this respect, real estate development and finance can be one of the most-rewarding—and most-maddening—professional endeavors one may pursue.

Text popisuje vazby mezi ochranou životního prostředí a lidskými právy z hlediska možnosti využití nástrojů ochrany lidských práv ve prospěch ochrany životního prostředí. Hlavní pozornost je věnována nejnovějšímu nalezenému výsledku těchto vazeb, a sice konceptu lidského práva na příznivé (zdravé, čisté, vyvážené apod.) životní prostředí a jeho pozici v mezinárodním právu. Po přehledu vývoje tohoto práva nastiňuje autorka tři konkrétní cesty, představitelné pro uznání tohoto nového lidského práva v mezinárodním právu.

Citace:
MÜLLEROVÁ, H. Aktuální otázky zakotvení lidského práva na životní prostředí v mezinárodním právu. Acta Universitatis Carolinae. Iuridica. 2011, č. 3, s. s. 19-44. ISSN 0323-0619.

The article describes the linkages that have been found between the environmental protection and human rights; it esp. mentions the ways how environmental protection may benefit from applying human rights instruments. It tackles the most recent result of these linkages, the concept of a new human right to a decent (healthy, clean, etc.)environment and its recognition in international law. After presenting an overview of a historical development of the right, the autor deals with three concrete ways that are possible for future international recognition of the right environment.

Provisions on environmental protection and living in a healthy environment have been included in constitutions since the 1970’s. In recent years, the inclusion of nature as a subject of rights in constitutions is also being discussed. Bolivia and Ecuador have been the first countries to acknowledge the legal rights of nature. It is argued that the new constitution of Turkey should also be ecological, as well as civil, democratic and libertarian and that nature’s indispensable and inalienable rights should be guaranteed by the constitution. The demands for an Ecological Constitution can act as a lever for the definition of natural resources as natural entities, the adoption of the precautionary principle in activities that might harm nature and the assurance of active participation of citizens in central and local decisions.

The article attempts a comprehensive review of the human security concept in order to question its utility for both research and policy-making. It notes the term’s interdisciplinary and extensively normative content that have facilitated its evolution into a successful security discourse. On the other hand, human security’s wide appeal has as a side-effect an extended conceptual polysemy inhibiting the cumulation of knowledge and the development of a relevant theory. Absence of conceptual clarity has also complicated its policy implementation. The article attempts to break the deadlock and move the debate forward by using the work of John Gerring and Paul A. Barresi on concept formation as an organizing device.

The Aravalli range is considered
the “lungs” of the polluted
National Capital Region. The
failure of Haryana and Rajasthan
governments to rein in the miners
despite the Supreme Court’s orders
to preserve the hills, has resulted
in severe degradation of the hills,
causing many of them to vanish.