Botkin Environmental Science Earth as Living Planet 8th txtbk

24.8 Global Security and Environment 563
hazardous-waste treatment facility must negotiate with representatives
of the host community and submit to arbitration
of any issues not resolved by negotiation. The costs of
the negotiation process are borne by the developer.
A classic example of a situation in which mediation
could have saved millions of dollars in legal costs and years
of litigation is the Storm King Mountain case, a conflict between
a utility company and conservationists. In 1962, the
Consolidated Edison Company of New York announced
plans for a new hydroelectric project in the Hudson River
Highlands, an area with thriving fisheries and also considered
to have unique aesthetic value (Figure 24.10). The
utility company argued that it needed the new facility, and
the environmentalists fought to preserve the landscape and
the fisheries. Litigation began with a suit filed in 1965 and
ended in 1981 after 16 years of intense courtroom battles
that left a paper trail exceeding 20,000 pages. After spending
millions of dollars and untold hours, the various parties
finally managed to forge an agreement with the assistance
of an outside mediator. If they had been able to sit down
and talk at an early stage, mediation might have settled the
issue much sooner and at much less cost to the parties and
to society. 14 The Storm King Mountain case is often cited as
a major victory for environmentalists, but the cost was great
to both sides.
24.7 International
Environmental Law
and Diplomacy
Legal issues involving the environment are difficult
enough within a nation; they become extremely complex
in international situations. International law is different
from domestic law in basic concept because there is no
world government with enforcement authority over nations.
As a result, international law must depend on the
agreement of the parties to bind themselves to behavior
that many residents of a particular nation may oppose.
Certain issues of multinational concern are addressed
by a collection of policies, agreements, and treaties that
are loosely called international environmental law. There
have been encouraging developments in this area, such
as agreements to reduce air pollutants that destroy stratospheric
ozone (the Montreal Protocol of 1987 and subsequent
discussion and agreements; see Chapter 21).
Antarctica provides a positive example of using international
law to protect the environment. Antarctica, a
continent of 14 million km 2 , was first visited by a Russian
ship in 1820, and people soon recognized that the continent
contained unique landscapes and life-forms (Figure
24.11). By 1960, a number of countries had claimed parts
of Antarctica to exploit mineral and fossil-fuel resources.
FIGURE 24.10 Storm King Mountain and the Hudson River
Highlands in New York State were the focus of environmental
conflict between a utility company and conservationists for nearly
20 years before a dispute about building a power plant was finally
resolved by mediation.
Then, in 1961, an international treaty was established
designating Antarctica a “scientific sanctuary.” Thirty
years later, in 1991, a major environmental agreement,
the Protocol of Madrid, was reached, protecting Antarctica,
including islands and seas south of 60° latitude. The
continent was designated “nuclear-free,” and access to its
resources was restricted. This was the first step in conserving
Antarctica from territorial claims and establishing the
“White Continent” as a heritage for all people on Earth.
Other environmental problems addressed at the international
level include persistent organic pollutants
(POPs), such as dioxins, DDT, and other pesticides. After
several years of negotiations in South Africa and Sweden,
127 nations adopted a treaty in May 2001 to greatly reduce
or eliminate the use of toxic chemicals known to
contribute to cancer and harm the environment.
24.8 Global Security
and Environment
The terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington,
DC, on September 11, 2001, brought the realization that
the United States—in fact the world—is not as safe as we
had assumed. The attacks led to a war on terrorists and
their financial and political networks around the world.
However, for every terrorist removed, another will fill the
void unless the root causes are recognized and eliminated.
Achieving sustainability in the world today has
strong political and economic components, but it also
has an environmental component. Terrorism comes in
part from poverty, overcrowding, disease, and conflicts