Environmental Justice/Biodiversity

[Tom Chao <tchao@mail.arc.nasa.gov>]

  Special interest groups or large international corporations are considered by environmental 'activists' to be an obstacle to global environmental protection.  It is obvious--I think--however that these large monopolies only exist because humans need them. The problem is that any large monolithic structure [bureaucracy] is limited by the endocrine, limbic system or intrinsic genetic _expression_ of the biological omnivorous homo sapien.  Life-force can be argued to be biological.  Of course, nuclear forces exist.

  Science & technology is mediated through the liberal arts.  So the humanities is where the society reconciles intrinsic instinctual character with the 'energy concepts.'  Note geospheric-biospheric science is what we see in the news.

  Localizing a response and allowing for regional solutions would be good science for public policy administrators.  Also, the response should be a a proactive response or continual dialogue that allows for the 'nestled-infrastructure' and provides for high public reciprocity.

  I read the Supreme Court decision, Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. Unitd States Army Corps of Engineers, January 2001 which GREENLines, Jan 10, Issue #1294 summarized as:
'[Weakening the] federal power to regulate state activities...'
'[ruling] that the Clean Water Act can not prevent suburban Chicago "localities" from building a landfill on "seasonal ponds used by migrating birds."'

  The Court wrote in its syllabus that '[twice] in the past six years [they] have reaffirmed the proposition that the grant of authority to Congress under the Commerce Clause, though broad, is not unlimited.'

  The public can access the Superfund site information and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act Toxic Release Inventories through the environmental 'activist' groups such as the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition and the Environmental Defense Fund internet sites, or through the EPA and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry sites.

  The community 'EJ' principles include the following:

Environmental Justice affirms the sacredness of Mother Earth, ecological unity and the interdependence of all species, and the right to be free from ecological destruction.

Environmental Justice demands that public policy be based on mutual respect and justice for all peoples, free from any form of discrimination or bias.

Environmental Justice mandates the right to ethical, balanced and responsible uses of land and renewable resources in the interest of a sustainable planet for humans and other living things.

Environmental Justice calls for universal protection from nuclear testing, extraction, production and disposal of toxic/hazardous wastes and poisons and nuclear testing that threaten the fundamental right to clean air, land, water, and food.

Environmental Justice affirms the fundamental right to political, economic, cultural and environmental self-determination of all peoples.

I think the concept of sovereignty is important in environmental implementations.  According to an Environs article, '[there are] two conflicting themes in [international] rainforest preservation; the states have a right to exploit their own resources but also have na obligation to protect them.'  This is in reference to the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, 1992, 'Forest Principles' or 'The Non-Legally Binding Authoritative Statement of Principles for a Global Consensus on the Management, Conservation, and Sustainable Development of All Types of Forests.'  There is discussion in the Spring 2001, Vol 24, Number 2 Environs on the 'International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA).