Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
2
The history of international
environmental law
It is fascinating to think that there are many different ways in which we can
interpret our past. Considered from the perspective of international political
science, our history is full of war and aggression: the First World War was
followed swiftly by the Second World War and then the Cold War. And
when we thought there would be no more, the War on Terror began.
International lawyers see things differently: they do not deny the existence
of these wars or claim that there won't be any more. The tradition in international
law looks at our history as one long learning experience rather than as proof
that the world has not changed. The same period of time that international
political science views as fi lled with aggression is seen, in international law, as
steady progress towards a more regulated international community.
The greatest challenge for those engaged in international law is not the
absence of international cooperation but somewhat the reverse: the fact that
the body of regulation is increasing too rapidly and beginning to fragment. On
the other hand, we must acknowledge that all these rules have not been suffi -
cient to eliminate international confl icts and problems. Similarly, agreements
are being made at an accelerating pace in the fi eld of international environ-
ment protection, yet still environmental problems continue to escalate.
This chapter reviews the history of international environmental law. The
development of international environmental law is considered in the context
of wider infl uential developments in international politics and law. Finally, we
draw some conclusions as to the major trends that have shaped the evolution
of international environmental law.
The development of international environmental law as
part of the evolution of international politics and law
International environmental regulation has naturally developed in the context
of the general development of international relations, although it is often
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search