Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
certain organizations—Green-peace and Earth
First, for example—using direct action in addition
to debate and discussion to draw attention to
the issues (Smith 1992).
Another characteristic of this new
environmentalism is a growing appreciation of
the economic and political components in
environmental issues, particularly as they apply
to the problems arising out of the economic
disparity between the rich and poor nations.
The latter need economic development to
combat the poverty, famine and disease that are
endemic in many Third World countries, but do
not have the capacity to deal with the
environmental pressures which development
brings. The situation is complicated by the
perception among the developing nations that
imposition of the environmental protection
strategies proposed by the industrial nations is
not only forcing them to pay for something they
did not create, but is also likely to retard their
development,
Development issues were included in the
Stockholm conference in 1972, but they were
clearly of secondary importance at that time, well
behind all of the environmental issues discussed.
Table 1.1
Treaties signed at the world environment meetings in Rio de Janeiro—June 1992
Source:
Compiled from information in Parson
et al.
(1992)
