ENVIRONMENT AND LAW
Environment is the big issue of the twenty first century. After the industrial, scientific and technological revolution, which started in the ends of the XVIII century and lasted until the XX century, men has become the largest predator of himself.
The increased exhaustion of natural resources, the destruction of fauna and flora, the emission of greenhouse gases and other climate changes are also due to the adopted economical model.
Developing countries want the same welfare that developed countries do. However, the increasing demand of resources, the population growth and the lack of space and time of our days, sends men into a paradoxical and suicidal spiral.
Earth has many paradises in risk: the Maldives, Kiribati, Tuvalu, the Great Barrier Reef of Coral, the Amazon and the Arctic. The same happening with beautiful in dangerous animal species: the Blue Whale, the Orangotango, the Panda, the Giant Iberian Wolf and the Imperial Eagle, just for example.
In his own unconsciousness and irresponsibility, man shapes themselves into a single system, consumption and comfort without any criticism, as if they weren’t rational enough to find and to accomplish alternatives.
Extremist positions do not help, either!
Climate summits come and go with very few results, part of the esoteric vision that International Law is used to give us. Global guidelines and global principles about environment end ecology, without any practical results in what concerns the States and its politics.
The International Civil Society is organized into multiple movements. They have the goal of keeping consciences alert. But, in practice, they don’t have the full dimension of power.
The defence of human rights also achieved success when they started to provide some profit or, at least, when they stop causing political damages. The same thing will happen with environmental issues.
That’s why the defence of capitalism and environment are not compatible. But they can complement themselves if they are both use to save Planet Earth.
Some prestige international brands are already giving signs of environmental commitment. Besides the marketing and the empowerment of consume, as a collateral damage, the environment says thanks.
However, the true green revolution will take over when the environmental infractions can be effectively punished. We are talking about states, companies and individuals.
Like in all decisions, we must obey them before they are imposed to us.
If not, nature won’t survive with ethical imperatives. She will rise from its sleep and pay back man the result of presumption and his blind ambition… when man finds out that his wings are like Icaro’s…
João Nuno Teixeira, Lawyer at Joncaf Lawyer`s