Encyclopedia of Environmental Science and Engineering, Volume I and II

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW 367

areas in the fi eld. The international community has recog-

nized that environmental threats are frequently transnational,

multinational, regional or even global in scope. As a result,

international agreements (treaties, conventions and proto-

cols) have entered into effect governing activities involving

diverse environmental issues, such as biodiversity (e.g., The

Convention on Biological Diversity), climate change, ozone

depletion (e.g., the “Montreal Protocol”), the protection of

Antarctica, transboundary disposal of hazardous wastes,

vessel-based water pollution and ocean dumping, trans-

boundary air and water pollution, conservation of whales

and other marine resources, trade in endangered species and

nuclear weapons testing.

International agreements, unlike most national environ-

mental laws, are essentially voluntary in nature: that is, they

cannot be enforced by an international legislature, court

system or police force. Such agreements can only be enforced

by the nations that consent to be bound by a particular

international compact. However, political methods, for exam-

ple, international exposure of violating nations and potential

trade boycotts, are often successful in achieving compliance

by nations that either do not adopt international agreements or

else adopt them and systematically violate their provisions.

REFERENCES

1. Plater, G. Z. B., Abrams, R., Goldfarb, W., Graham, R. L., Heingerling,
   L. and Wisch, D. L., Environmental Law and Policy: Nature, Law and
   Society. 3 rd Edition. New York, NY. Aspen Publishers. 2004.


2. Government Institutes, Inc., Environmental Law Handbook, 17th Edi-
   tion, Rockville, MD. 2003.


3. Environmental Law Institute, Environmental Law Reporter.


4. Bureau of National Affairs, Environment Reporter.


5. Guruswamy, L. D. and Hendricks, B. R., International Environmental
   Law. St. Paul, MN. West Publishing Co. 1997.

WILLIAM GOLDFARB

Rutgers University

C005_010_r03.indd 367C005_010_r03.indd 367 11/18/2005 10:25:16 AM11/18/2005 10:25:16 AM