Digital Commons Network^™

Teaching Comparative Environmental Law From A Global Resources Perspective: Are National Environmental Laws Doing Their Job?, Lin Harmon

Global Environmental Law at a Crossroads

Many environmental law courses provide instruction in national environmental laws and their application. Some environmental law courses compare one system of environmental law with another system to see what each system can learn from the other. Most recently, there has been a move towards a more global approach to comparative environmental law, looking at the global development of legal institutions and procedures in the enforcement of environmental statutes and regulations.

As the world faces increasingly difficult conditions with advancing climate change and ocean acidification, continuing loss of biological diversity, the growth of megacities, massive public health problems from pollution, and …

Critical Analysis Of The Contractual Commitment To Serve The Protection Of Ecological Services: Payments For Environmental Services, Alexandra Langlais

Global Environmental Law at a Crossroads

The contractual commitment is a tool now widely used in the environmental field. As part of payments for environmental services, this contractual obligation, however, raises many questions. These cover not only the legitimacy but also contractors and so intimately linked to the object of the contract, environmental services. Indeed, the provision of environmental services justifies financial rewards in return. Insofar as this concept of environmental services is uncertain because of a missing definition, it coexists with that of ecosystem services, environmental public goods, the subject of the contract and therefore its payment may appear questionable. Including the assumption that this …

Transnational Voluntary Climate Change Initiatives For Local Governments: Key Variables, Drivers, And Likely Effects, Stepan Wood, Kevin Thompson

Global Environmental Law at a Crossroads

Local governments were among the first levels of government to develop and implement policies and measures to combat climate change. They remain in many respects at the forefront of climate policy. Since the early 1990s they have acted collectively to create transnational voluntary climate change initiatives, from the Europe-based Climate Alliance and EU Mayors’ Covenant to the global Cities for Climate Protection campaign and carbonn Cities Climate Registry. After more than two decades of experience with the oldest of these initiatives, it is somewhat surprising that these transnational local government climate initiatives have not received more attention in the scholarly …

Payment For Ecosystem Services In Brazil: Between Efficiency And Equity, Ana Maria Nusdeo, Ana Luiza Campos

Global Environmental Law at a Crossroads

Brazil is characterized by a great richness of its biodiversity, the extension of its continental lands, a variety of economic and cultural condition on its different regions and a sociocultural diversity. All aspects contribute to the complexity of the environmental issue. Although such complexity deserves a special attention, the history of socio-environmental and economic public policies prove that such policies have not always accomplished good results, be it either because models of intense exploitation of natural resources have been adopted, disregarding biodiversity; or due to a poor view of regions as areas either to be occupied or preserved, disregarding its …

Incorporating Values Within Environmental Risk Assessment, Ceri Warnock

Global Environmental Law at a Crossroads

Public participation in environmental decision making can be seen as constituting a spectrum: from the right to be informed, to the right to make submissions and / or be consulted, to the right to play an active role in the decision–making process. In the context of environmental risk assessment, many theorists argue that a significant and meaningful role should be given to the public in the decision-making process. There are two primary reasons for this: the first is to ensure the legitimacy of the decision and the second is because of the importance of ascertaining values in risk assessment. This …

A Radical Shift For The Future Of Environmental Law: The Potential And Risks Of The Use Of Technology For The Benefit Of The Environment, Floor M. Fleurke, Jonathan Verschuuren

Global Environmental Law at a Crossroads

The rate of environmental decline over the past few decades has been alarming, reflecting the relative ineffectiveness of the expanding body of environmental law that has been enacted since the early 1970s. Scholars have analysed the causes for the sub-optimal performance of environmental regulation, and put forward a plethora of explanations. Our scientific understanding of how ecologies interrelate and what critical thresholds exist remains sketchy at best, which hinders the articulation of appropriate regulatory goals. It is also hard to channel the behaviour of citizens for as long as the costs of environmental harm are borne by future generations that …

The Climate Change Cop 17 Debacle: Is This The Beginning Of The Failure Of International Environmental Diplomacy?, Tumai Murombo

Global Environmental Law at a Crossroads

Increasingly it is becoming apparent that addressing global environmental problems through international diplomacy is not working optimally. Through the lenses of the recent Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COPs 15-17) this paper will analyse international environmental diplomacy and assess the extent to which it has been useful in promoting the objectives of sustainable development. In particular it appears that progressively geopolitics is supplanting the underlying aim of international environmental law i.e. to deal with global environmental challenges. I conclude that there is a need for a rethink of how do we address global …

Australia's Brand New Clean Energy Legislation Package - How Can It Reduce Emissions?, Karen Bubna-Litic

Global Environmental Law at a Crossroads

How does one effectively reduce greenhouse gases? Two ways of doing this is through either lowering the production of ghg’s through less activity, eg energy efficiency, or through the availability of substitutes that produce less ghg’s.

Currently we have a high demand for greenhouse gas producing activities. In simple terms increasing the price, say, of carbon through either a tax or cap and trade scheme can decrease demand. However, lessening demand is a complex proposition, depending on the elasticity of the product, the purchasing power of the consumer and the availability of substitutes. Energy efficiency and technical innovation are two …

Teaching The Art Of Environmental Diplomacy, Ann Powers

Global Environmental Law at a Crossroads

International Environmental Law is a framework of obligations, measurable norms, and consultative procedures associated with elaborating these norms and facilitating their implementation. It is through the practice of multilateral environmental diplomacy that Nations primarily establish international environmental law. These multilateral negotiations take place in the General Assembly or the Economic & Social Council of the United Nations or in other treaty organizations, such as the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity or the World Conservation Congress of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Such environmental diplomatic negotiations are on-going and …

International Environmental Law And Migration, Nicole De Moor

Global Environmental Law at a Crossroads

The international community has long recognized that worldwide environmental changes affect national and international migration patterns. However, in 1992, the issue of environment-induced migration and displacement was not addressed as a major concern at the Rio Earth Summit. From the three new forums addressing environmental and development concerns, initiated in Rio, only the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) paid modest attention to environmental migration. Neither the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), nor the Biodiversity Convention (CBD), explicitly referred to the phenomenon of environment-induced human mobility.

However, since the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlighted migration and displacement as …

Co2 Emissions Trading And Emission Limit Values: Is Eu Environmental Law Restricting Member States To Act Against Climate Change?, Kars J. De Graaf

Global Environmental Law at a Crossroads

The competence to protect the environment in Europe could be described as a ‘shared’ competence. While the EU may adopt environmental directives on the basis of Article 192 TFEU (Treaty on the Functioning of the EU) that obligate Member States to implement them in their national legal order, Article 193 TFEU makes clear that the protective measures adopted pursuant to Article 192 TFEU shall not prevent any Member State from maintaining or introducing more stringent protective measures.

A cornerstone of the EU’s policy to combat climate change is the 2005 Emission Trading System Directive (ETS Directive). This system is an …

Eu Climate Law & Practice At The End Of The Kyoto Era: Unilateralism, Extraterritoriality And The Future Of Global Climate Change Governance, Lorenzo Schiano Di Pepe

Global Environmental Law at a Crossroads

The European Union (EU) and its legal system have traditionally been at the forefront of the fight against anthropogenic climate change at the global level. This is particularly true today, when the international community is facing one of the most difficult passages of all times in this respect, due to the well-known difficulty in agreeing on a binding legal text to be applied once the first reference period established by the Kyoto Protocol will expire at the end of this year.

The above stalemate has caused individual States to resort to unilateralism, a move that in itself represents a regression …

Emerging Legal And Policy Strategies For Climate Change Adaptation: Opportunities And Constraints For Action In Africa, Emmanuel Kasimbazi

Global Environmental Law at a Crossroads

The climate of the Africa is changing. When the climate started changing and when it will end is subject to endless debate. Climate is important for development in Africa but natural climate fluctuations from autonomous climate cycles (such as those linked to the El Nino phenomenon) disrupt ecological, economic and social systems. The causes of climate of change include: continued rates of high population growth, increasing reliance on fossil fuel-driven growth technologies, land use effects, (particularly urbanization, agriculture and deforestation) and increases in concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs) and aerosols. Climate change in Africa has several effects. There are …

Can Carbon Trading & Carbon Tax Be Applied Simultaneously In China?, Ping Chen

Global Environmental Law at a Crossroads

There is a growing debate between two competing climate change policy instruments – ‘cap and trade’ and ‘carbon tax’. Until now, both of them have worked well in different jurisdictions in order to reduce GHGs emissions. For those countries just consider to apply either of the two approaches like China, it is more convinced to recognize the advantages and disadvantages of the two approaches before making the choice.

The cap-and-trade system has been implemented by the European Union since 2005. The performance of EU cap-and-trade system shows many advantages. For instance, it can predict a clear environmental outcome by setting …

Legal Challenges In Promoting Sustainability- The Bioenergy Case, Helle Tegner Anker, Birgitte Egelund Olsen

Global Environmental Law at a Crossroads

Addressing climate concerns and reducing reliance on fossil fuels has been a broadly accepted sustainability objective for decades. But, to what extent are alternatives to fossil fuels sustainable in themselves and what are the different legal or regulatory challenges and options in ensuring a certain level of sustainability of such alternatives?

Bioenergy or biofuels, i.e. energy based on biological material (biomass) is often being promoted as an alternative to fossil fuels.[1] There are many different types of bioenergy determined either by the type of biomass (e.g. crops, wood or waste) or by the type or purpose of use (e.g. …

On The Improvement Of Bioenergy Law In China, Lei Guo

Global Environmental Law at a Crossroads

China has a long history of using bioenergy. But the utilization of modern bioenergy in China started late, and come up against the inferior of technology, the low level of industrialization and the imperfect laws and policies. During the 11^th five-year plan for national economic and social development (2006-2010), Chinese government set up series of bioenergy development goals and obtained initial achievements in development of modern bioenergy, such as biomass power generation, liquid biofuels and biogas. Moreover, the latest 12^th five-year plan (2011-2015) will further advance the use of bioenergy through the upcoming bioenergy plan which is included …

Shale Gas Development In Ukraine: Global Context Of The Problem And Prospect Of Regulation, Svitlana Romanko

Global Environmental Law at a Crossroads

Ukraine is widely believed to be one of Europe's largest holders of the new energy resource. But when working on problem, we also should take into account the experience of countries which succeed the shale gas production: USA, Canada and our neighboring countries in Europe – Poland and others.

According to experts, Ukraine may be in talks with foreign investors and to remind of shale gas. Ukraine during 2011 year agreed on cooperation with 21 companies in the production of hydrocarbons, particularly shale gas and coal bed methane. Ukrainian government is very interested in shale gas exploration but experts state …

Greening The Au Economy- Adapting To Climate Change Along A Low Carbon Development Pathway, Michelle Van Der Walt

Global Environmental Law at a Crossroads

According to the United Nations Human Development Report of 2007 climate change is the defining human development challenge of the 21st Century. One of the major global contributors towards climate change is green house gas (GHG) emissions resulting from energy use connected with the combustion of fossil fuels. On account of its low per capita energy consumption, Africa contributes relatively little towards over-all energy related GHG emissions. Notwithstanding, the global effects of climate change will impact negatively on the developmental path of the African continent in areas such as agriculture; access to fresh water; biodiversity; food security and health thereby …

Wednesday Communiqué, 7/4/2012, Chaouki Abdallah

Publications of the Provost's Office

Happy 4th of July! The Morrill Land Grant Act: Although the country was in the midst of a civil war, President Lincoln signed the Morrill Act into law on July 2, 1862. The purpose of the act was, without excluding other scientific and classical studies and including military tactic, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts, in such manner as the legislatures of the states may respectively prescribe, in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions in life.''

Phoenix, 2012-07-04, Student Life

Phoenix

The Phoenix is a student newspaper published at Governors State University since August 2002. The newspaper features student reporting, opinions, news, and photos.

July 4, 2012: How To Be Religious, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “How to be Religious“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

Annual Flowers For Utah Gardens, Larry A. Sagers

All Archived Publications

No abstract provided.

How To Create A Lie Algebra, Ian M. Anderson

How to... in 10 minutes or less

We show how to create a Lie algebra in Maple using three of the most common approaches: matrices, vector fields and structure equations. PDF and Maple worksheets can be downloaded from the links below.

Deafdigest: Mid-Week Edition, July 4, 2012, Barry Strassler

DeafDigest Mid-Week 2012

No abstract provided.

It Pays To Cheat: Tactical Deception In A Cephalopod Social Signalling System, Culum Brown, Martin P. Garwood, Jane E. Williamson

Communication Skills Collection

Signals in intraspecific communication should be inherently honest; otherwise the system is prone to collapse. Theory predicts, however, that honest signalling systems are susceptible to invasion by cheats, the extent of which is largely mediated by fear of reprisal. Cuttlefish facultatively change their shape and colour, an ability that evolved to avoid predators and capture prey. Here, we show that this ability is tactically employed by male mourning cuttlefish (Sepia plangon) to mislead conspecifics during courtship in a specific social context amenable to cheating 39 per cent of the time, while it was never employed in other social contexts. Males …

07/04/2012 Obituary Records, Hawaii Obituaries

Obituaries

List of Obituaries for individuals who passed away on 07/04/2012. Scroll down to see the names and obituary description.

A Few Remarks On The Draft Assumptions For An Act Amending The Act On Competition And Consumer Protection, Anna Piszcz

internetowy Kwartalnik Antymonopolowy i Regulacyjny (internet Quarterly on Antitrust and Regulation)

The article is concerned with the discussion of some of the issues and suggestions outlined in the draft assumptions for an act amending the Act on competition and consumer protection (ACCP). The draft document was published by the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (OCCP) for consultation in May 2012. First, the author explains the significance of the Act on freedom of economic activity for drafting amendments to the provisions in ACCP relating to inspections in proceedings before the President of the OCCP. Second, emphasis is laid on some issues related to remedies and so-called no-contest plea. …

Hotline Press Newspaper- July 2012 Vol 29 No 6, Hotline Press Newspaper

Hotline Press Newspaper 2012

No abstract provided.

The 2-Component Dispersionless Burger's Equation Arising In The Modelling Of Bloodflow, Tony Lyons

Articles

This article investigates the properties of the solutions of the dispersionless two-component Burgers (B2) equation, derived as a model for blood- ow in arteries with elastic walls. The phenomenon of wave breaking is investigated as well as applications of the model to clinical conditions.

Towards An Optimal Space-And-Query-Time Index For Top-K Document Retrieval, Wing Kai Hon, Rahul Shah, Sharma V. Thankachan

Faculty Publications

Let {d 1,d 2,...d D } be a given set of D string documents of total length n, our task is to index , such that the k most relevant documents for an online query pattern P of length p can be retrieved efficiently. We propose an index of size |CSA| + nlogD(2 + o(1)) bits and O(t s (p) + kloglogn + polyloglogn) query time for the basic relevance metric term-frequency, where |CSA| is the size (in bits) of a compressed full text index of , with O(t s (p)) time for searching a pattern of length p. We …