Social Movements, Law, and Society - The Institutionalization of the Environmental Movement.

Social Movements, Law, and Society: The Institutionalization of the Environmental Movement Cary Coglianese Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government 79 John F. Kennedy Street Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 [email protected] Copyright (c) 2001 by Cary Coglianese. All rights reserved. Forthcoming in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. Social Movements, Law, and Society: The Institutionalization of the Environmental Movement Cary Coglianese* Social change lies at the heart of the definition of a social movement. A social movement is a broad set of sustained organizational efforts to change the structure of society or the distribution of society's resources.1 Within social movements, law reformers typically view law as a resource or strategy to achieve desired social change.2 Since social change is the purpose of a social movement, law reform generally is taken to provide a means of realizing that goal.3 According to this conventional view, social movements, law reform, and society interact in a simple, unidirectional fashion. Social movement organizations seek to secure law reform; in turn, changes in the law bring about changes in society. While this conventional conception dominates much research and can be helpful for the purpose of analyzing the direct effects of social movement law reform,4 it misses several important

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Physical Sciences
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The current system of environmental governance is a diffuse process, spread through many different treaty bodies and other U.N. institutions. At present UNEP, is the primary environmental organ in the system.

INTRODUCTION When the United Nations was founded in 1945, environmental issues were not yet on most national agendas, let alone on the international agenda. As a consequence, the U.N. Charter does not even mention the word "environment". In the years since, environmental degradation has emerged as a pressing international concern. Wind currents, rain patterns, rivers, and streams carry pollutants hundreds or even thousands of miles from their sources, violating national borders with impunity. On an even larger scale, the global environmental problems of ozone depletion, climate change, deforestation, and the loss of the Earth's biological diversity threaten all nations.1 Furthermore, recent research identifies population growth and natural resource scarcity as important factors in exacerbating social tensions and provoking conflict in many corners of the globe. As the problems have worsened, environmental issues have gradually moved onto the international political agenda. To date, governments have adopted more than 170 environmental treaties concerning subjects of shared concern: acid rain contamination, ocean pollution, endangered species depletion, hazardous waste exportation, and Antarctica preservation. More than two-thirds of these agreements have been reached since the landmark 1972 U.N. Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm. This conference created the

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  • Subject: Physical Sciences
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Greenback Bank: Environmental Policy Analysis. Greenback Bank: Environmental Policy Analysis

Greenback Bank: Environmental Policy Analysis Within corporations, nearly 1.5 pounds of paper are used per person per day.1 Based on a typical Fortune 500 company with 10,000 employees and a 255 workday year, this equates to over 3,825,000 pounds of paper per year. Our company, Greenback Bank, headquartered in Dallas, TX, has developed a progressive environmental policy to address this issue and many others. Greenback Bank has approximately 350 branches nationwide and it employs over 11,000 people. Greenback is a publicly traded company and is classified as a Fortune 500 company based on its revenues. Over the past five years, Greenback's financial performance has continued to increase. As a result of the recovering economy, Greenback has decided to implement a growth strategy to expand its branch network. This expansion has created a significant need to develop and implement an environmental policy. ENVIRONMENTAL MISSION STATEMENT We have benefited from the communities we serve and with our continued growth we want to ensure the customers, families, and entire communities that they will be served by an institution that is actively taking steps to be an environmentally friendly company. ENVIRONMENTAL VISION * Utilize energy efficient technologies and implement environmentally friendly designs for all new construction * Maximize the use of recycled materials and

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  • Subject: Physical Sciences
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Dioxin contamination, Times beach, Missouri, USA.

Letort Vanessa Student Number: 2029474 Module Number: HEV 3211 Purchase Diane PORTFOLIO ASSIGNMENT CASE STUDY: DIOXIN CONTAMINATION, TIMES BEACH, MISSOURI, USA. Dioxin is a general term that describes a group of hundreds of chemicals that are highly persistent in the environment. Dioxins and furans are some of the most toxic chemicals known to science (Porteous, 2000). The most toxic compound is 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin or TCDD. The toxicity of other dioxins and chemicals like PCBs that act like dioxin are measured in relation to TCDD. Dioxin was the primary toxic component of Agent Orange. Dioxin is formed as an unintentional by-product of many industrial processes involving chlorine such as waste incineration, chemical and pesticide manufacturing and pulp and paper bleaching. Dioxin is formed by burning chlorine-based chemical compounds with hydrocarbons. The major source of dioxin in the environment comes from waste-burning incinerators of various sorts and also from backyard burn-barrels. Dioxin pollution is also affiliated with the production of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) plastics (Internet 1). Dioxins are a serious public health threat. According to a draft report released for public comment in September 1994 by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPAS, there is no safe level of exposure to dioxin. After publication of a research paper from the

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A Study of a Hill In the new forest

A STUDY OF A HILL IN THE NEW FOREST. BY: CLAIRE CRUMP FOR: ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES ACCESS DATE: NOVEMBER 2002 WORD COUNT: A Study of a Hill in the New Forest. Objectives: The aim of the investigation was to study & identify the relationship between the changes in vegetation & soil over a hill in the New Forest. Background: The location of the hill was a site in the New Forest in Hampshire known as Dead Mans Hill. Please see map on page 3. It is understood that the site acquired its name during the Second World War, when it was used as a mass grave. The study was undertaken on a dry day in early October. Initially the sky was overcast with a breeze but during the latter part of the investigation the sun came out. At the top of the hill a clear view of surrounding countryside could be had. There was also a car-park and a well used road which ran along side it. The majority of the surrounding land was heathland. Which was covered with grassland, heather, bracken (which was starting to die off) & gorse (some of which was still flowering). There were also a few trees which punctuated the undulating heathland of Dead Mans Hill, including Scots Pine, Birch & Oak. Down the hill were several well used tracks & paths. A number of dogs with their owners & horse riders were around during the course of the investigation. There were several free roaming New Forest

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Environmental Taxes

Environmental taxes refer to the long-term economic, social and environmental gains and increase the incentives to protect the global environmental. (Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage, 2005) [Online]. It is also known as tax shift, green tax reform and ecological taxing (Hanno Beck et.el, 1998) [Online]. The tax revenue collected from the people and business commercial are transfer into the inquisition policy tool that used to increase the quality of environment, reduce the demands and expenditure, increase more beneficial activities to society and welfare and promote the innovation (Hanno Beck et.el, 1998) [Online]. Tax shift is a tool that with the intention of encouraging the sustainable activities and discouraging environmentally damaging behaviour and improve the overall the tax equity (Mainewatch Institute, no date) [Online]. The ideas are based on current economic trend, which fail to account the environmental damages because sending incorrect price signal, and the tax system creates counterproductive incentives (Mainewatch Institute, no date) [Online]. Tax shift are trying solution to reduce the level of taxes on production activities and increase the level of taxes on unproductive activities such as pollution, consumption product in order to promote the tax equity (Mainewatch Institute, no date) [Online]. Most of environmental taxes are

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  • Subject: Physical Sciences
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Boreal Forest case study.

Boreal case study The diagram below summarises some of the key ways trees in the boreal forest have adapted to the abiotic factors of this area Case study - The fate of Siberian forests Background information Total area = 8.8 M sq km; (57% world Boreal Forest). The Siberian approach to forests! In Boguchany, Siberia, 20,000 prisoners are set to work logging for punishment - the resultant timber is not used, its purpose was merely to occupy prisoners time. This represents a criminal waste of forest! Such deforestation devastates local ecosystems and reduces wildlife food sources for indigenous people. To make better use of the logs, the Boguchany dam (a local HEP project) is being built for processing logs. This at least reduces waste, but puts further stress on the forest... more forest destruction will occur by flooding for the reservior. Meanwhile in the neighbouring region of Bratsk, Siberia, 100,000 Ha forest has been destroyed by air pollion from aluminium smelters, power stations and chemical factories. This also affects humans ....local mortality rates increased 25% in last 10 yrs. Temperate forest case studies The Forestry Commission in the UK are pursuing MPF (multipurpose forestry). Timber, employment, landscapes, watersheds, biodiversity, habitat considered together (but timber production takes priority!). UK has 10% tree cover but only 2.5%

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  • Subject: Physical Sciences
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"Environmental degradation is neither the inevitable price of, nor a desirable path for, economic development

"Environmental degradation is neither the inevitable price of, nor a desirable path for, economic development." (UNDP, et al, 2005) Introduction Environmental degradation is now apparent on a global scale. In addition to the deterioration of what were once considered free goods (such as air and water), escalating scarcity of natural resources, deforestation, desertification and threatened bio-diversity are now commonplace across the spectrum. There are certainly no reservations over the scale of this degradation, however there is much controversy concerning the apparent environmental degradation - economic development nexus. Many have argued that short-term tradeoffs exist in the form of environmental degradation, for superior long-term economic gains. One of the positions put forward is that environmental degradation is the result and inevitable price of economic development. This viewpoint is based on the Environmental Kuznets Curve, regarding environmental degradation as the 'necessary evil' for achieving 'economic development' and suggesting that environmental assets are degraded in the early stages of economic development, only to improve after some income threshold has been passed at a later point. In the last decade, extensive literature has argued that a direct link between environmental degradation and economic development is too simplistic and that the

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Physical Sciences
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This Community Research Project is aimed at examining Barangay Nazareths waste management system in the city of Cagayan de Oro.

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN BARANGAY NAZARETH, CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY Submitted by: Achaia D. Bais Princess Grace G. Esmedina Isha Grace Q. Vallinas Karrah Kshatria B. Seronay Prairie Anne B. Villamor Krissie Laine R. Odchigue Vanessa E. Mosqueda Irish Tiffany Cornelio Submitted to: Mrs. Laarni Presidente-Pacamalan Date: September 28, 2010 Room: STC 401 Section: PSC 10.1- BC Time: 5:40PM –6:55PM (TTh) Rationale/Background of the Study Historically, the amount of wastes generated by human population was insignificant mainly due to the low population densities, coupled with the fact there was very little exploitation of natural resources. Common wastes produced during the early ages were mainly ashes and human & biodegradable wastes, and these were released back into the ground locally, with minimal environmental impact. With the advent of industrial revolution, waste management became a critical issue. This was due to the increase in population and the massive migration of people to industrial towns and cities from rural areas during the 18th century. There was a consequent increase in industrial and domestic wastes posing threat to human health and environment. The increasing industrialization and fast growth does not only pose problems related to the allocation of

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  • Subject: Physical Sciences
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Disposal of Toxic and Radioactive Materials with Special Focus on the Philippines

Disposal of Toxic and Radioactive Materials ________________ Abstract: Toxic and Radioactive waste materials has been brought to life by humans being a by-product of numerous undertaking efforts ever since the breakthrough discovery of radioactivity in 1896 by Antoine Henri Becquerel. Since World War II, toxic, as well as radioactive waste materials have been produced by army weaponry manufacturing and screening; exploration; electrical energy generation; healthcare analysis and therapy; biological and chemical research; along with other commercial uses. Because of the hazardus and fatal biological effects of radiation and toxins to humans, the governments of different countries have developed ways on managing these waste products in order to avoid contamination. The four types of toxic wastes (very-low level waste, low-level waste, intermediate level waste, and high-level waste) all have specific techniques for proper disposal - the methods increasing in level in proportion to the radiation degree or severity of effects. There are also secure solutions to the disposal of used fuel and those from nuclear power plants. These methods include burying them underground or placing them in a waste storage pond. This research will focus on the Philippine conditions regarding the issue on toxic wastes as well as provide an international overview on the process and procedures

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Physical Sciences
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