国际环境标准手册Chap2.pdfVIP

Part II International Conventions, Treaties, and Agreements 1999 CRC Press LLC 2 An Introduction to International Environmental Controls CONTENTS An Overview of International Conventions and Agreements The Relationship Between International Trade and Environmental Controls NEPA Influence on International Environmental Controls New Tools for Providing Proactive Environmental Control Conclusion The World Resources Institute (WRI) publishes an annual environmental almanac in which a brief description of a country and a brief description of that country’s environmental problems are listed. For instance, the almanac noted that in Belgium, even though water protection laws have been in effect since 1971, these laws have not stopped steel factories from pouring waste effluent into the Meuse River. The river is the source of drinking water for 5 million people—yet it is highly polluted. The reason appears to be that the factories can afford to pay the penalties. “Fines are so low that companies would rather pay them than treat their effluent adequately (WRI 1994).” Indeed, commitment to environmentally sound policy is as much a function of dollars as anything else. This is true in the United States. It is true in the international community. An examination of international environmental controls finds that the concerns and problems associated with finding solutions to environmental issues in the United States are essentially the same on an international level, although more complex. Why? The elements that often influence our ability to find solutions to environmental problems include geography, politics, economics, and business. At the international level, these elements take on greater significance. For example, with regard to geography—Will a country located in a temperate climactic