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Full-Text Articles in Law

Welcomed Participants' Or 'Environmental Vigilantes'? The Cepa Environmental Protection Action And The Role Of Citizen Suits In Federal Environmental Law, Marcia Valiante Apr 2002

Welcomed Participants' Or 'Environmental Vigilantes'? The Cepa Environmental Protection Action And The Role Of Citizen Suits In Federal Environmental Law, Marcia Valiante

Dalhousie Law Journal

In the 1999 amendments to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, the federal government added a new citizen enforcement tool, known as an "environmental protection action." This was the first "citizen suit" provision in Canadian federal environmental law but it is unlikely to play more than a minor role in advancing enforcement of CEPA and is unlikely to be adopted in other environmental laws. This is because, despite initial interest in and commitment to citizen enforcement, the government was persuaded by industry representatives and others to significantly constrain the action and, shortly afterwards, to drop it entirely from the Species At …


From Kyoto To Marrakech; A Long Walk Through The Desert: Mirage Or Oasis?, Meinhard Doelle Apr 2002

From Kyoto To Marrakech; A Long Walk Through The Desert: Mirage Or Oasis?, Meinhard Doelle

Dalhousie Law Journal

This article reviews the results of four years of negotiations of the parties to the UNFCCC,3 from the Kyoto Protocol signed in 1997 to the Marrakech Accords in 2001. This process was intended to provide the details and operational rules needed for parties to make decisions on whether to ratify and how to implement the Kyoto Protocol in time for the start of the first commitment period in 2008. The author analyzes the Marrakech Accords with respect to the Kyoto Mechanisms, reporting, verification, compliance, and developing country issues, and concludes that the Kyoto Protocol in itself is a negligible step …


The Precautionary Principle And Marine Environmental Protection: Slippery Shores, Rough Seas, And Rising Normative Tides, David Vanderzwaag Jan 2002

The Precautionary Principle And Marine Environmental Protection: Slippery Shores, Rough Seas, And Rising Normative Tides, David Vanderzwaag

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

Law and policy implications of the precautionary principle in the field of marine environmental protection are explored in this paper in a three-part analysis. First, seven slippery aspects of the precautionary principle are highlighted, including confusion in terminology, definitional variations, definitional generalities, the spectrum of precautionary measures available, ongoing philosophical tensions and competing socioeconomic interests, debate over who should be responsible for making precautionary decisions, and limited interpretation by international tribunals. Second, the rather feeble precautionary responses to the tempestuous issues of climate change, hazardous chemicals, and overfishing are described. Third, the potential for the precautionary principle to synergize with …


Canada And The Precautionary Principle/Approach In Ocean And Coastal Management: Wading And Wandering In Tricky Currents, David Vanderzwaag, Susanna Fuller, Ransom Myers Jan 2002

Canada And The Precautionary Principle/Approach In Ocean And Coastal Management: Wading And Wandering In Tricky Currents, David Vanderzwaag, Susanna Fuller, Ransom Myers

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

After reviewing the tricky nature of the precautionary principle/approach, such as confusion over terminology and the spectrum of precautionary measures available, the article through a four-part format describes Canadian initiatives and efforts to implement the precautionary principle/ approach in ocean and coastal management. First, Canada's general steps to adopt the precautionary principle are discussed including caselaw developments and the limited embracing of precaution in environmental impact assessment review and strategic planning processes. Second, the paper reviews Canada's efforts to address marine pollution-ocean dumping, land-based, vessel-source and seabed activities- in light of precaution. Third, Canadian experiences with implementing precaution in the …