The Evolution Of International Environmental Law (IEL) Essay Example for Free

The Evolution Of International Environmental Law (IEL) Essay Trace the evolution of International Environmental Law (IEL). What does the rise of IEL signify in terms of community interests versus the egoistic interests of nation states? The term ‘International Environmental Law’ can be used as a term to encompass the entire corpus of international law, public and private relevant to environmental issues or problems.[1] The modern rules of international environmental law can be traced back to a ‘spat’ between the United States and Britain. The first ever reported environmental dispute dates back to 1742. [2] In the early 1970s environmental issues started to appear on the agenda of various United Nations and non United Nations agencies and this was, in part, due to the amount of publicity that was being devoted to the problems of environmental degradation. In 1972, due to pressure from NGOs especially in the United States, the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was convened. Preparations for this conference necessitated a thorough examination of activities that had any impact on the environment.[3] Under United Nations General Assembly Resolutions in 1968 and 1969 which gave rise to the Conference, the assembly agreed that there was an urgent need for intensified action at national and international levels to limit and if possible, eliminate the impairment of the human environment and that this was necessary for sound economic and social development.[4] The 1987 World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) Report and the resultant 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development expressed the already existing concern for sustainable development. Meanwhile, the dynamics of negotiations within these conferences changed with time. With decolonisation and the attainment of independence of more developing countries, more of these countries were joining the United Nations and other international Organisations. During negotiations, developing countries were insisting on radical changes to international economics relations that would bring about a situation that would be more conducive to the realization of their developmental goals.[5] Financial Institutions such as the World Bank now structured and conditioned loans in such a way that development should always be ecologically sound.[6] By the 1990s, environmentalists were opposing strongly, the trade regime under the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT). This was inflamed by two decisions of the Dispute Resolution Mechanism. In the Tuna Dolphin case, GATT ruled against the U.S ban on tuna that was caught using mechanisms that killed dolphins as well. In the Shrimp Turtle case, the GATT ruled against an American law that was put in place to protect turtles that were sometimes killed in the process of catching shrimps.[7] Now, the WTO rules are to be applied in such a way as to ensure the promotion of sustainable development so do the rules of many other international organisations. Under the various international environmental laws, companies are bound to respect environmental laws, they are bound for instance to conduct impact assessments on any project they wish to undertake.[8] States are also bound to respect the environmental integrity not only of their state but also that of all other states. In the world of today, it is doubtful that the GATT Dispute Resolution Mechanism would give similar rulings as those that they gave in the Tuna Dolphin and Shrimp Turtle cases. The rise of International Environmental Law has meant that states can no longer pursue their own personal interests without having consideration for the environmental integrity of other states. [1] Birnie and Boyle (2002) International Law and the Environment (2nd Edition) Pg. 2-3 [2] Sands (2005) Lawless World: America and the Making and Breaking of Global Rules Pg 71 [3] Ibid Pg. 38 [4] United Nations General Assembly Resolutions XXIII of 1968 and XXIV of 1969 [5] Dadzie, in Roberts and Kingsbury (1993) United Nations, Divided World: The Un’s Role In International Relations (2ND Edition) Oxford: Oxford University Press Pg. 300 [6] Birnie and Boyle (2002) International Law and the Environment (2nd Edition) Oxford: Oxford University Press Pg. 60 [7] Giplin (2001) Global Political Economy: Understanding The International Economic Order. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Pg. 226 [8] Article 4 Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in Transboundary Context

Charles Lindbergh Essay -- essays papers

Charles Lindbergh One of the greatest heroes the world has ever known Charles Augustus Lindbergh. He is most famous for his transatlantic flight from New York to Paris. Lindbergh acquired great fame for doing â€Å"good will† tours in Latin America. Other than politicians and war heroes no one has yet quite matched his fame. He was a genus when it came to aviation and mechanics. He advised the making and design of several planes from ones made of wood and wire to supersonic jets. He helped several countries and airlines by giving them advise on their air fleets. He wrote several documents of his journeys and of his life. Charles Lindbergh entered this world on February 4, 1902 in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up in Rapid Falls, Minnesota on a family farm. His father’s name was Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Sr. He was a lawyer and a congressman for the state of Minnesota between the years of 1907 and 1917. His mother’s name was Evangeling Land Lodge. As a child Lindbergh showed that he had a great deal of mechanical ability. When he was eighteen years old he began attending the University of Wisconsin. While at Wisconsin he majored in mechanical engineering. During his time at the university he paid more attention to the growing field of avaion than he did to his studies. In 1924 Charles Lindbergh enlisted in the United States Army so he could begin studying on how to be a fighter pilot. One year later he graduated from the Army flight training school that was held on both Brook’s field and Kelly’s field. He graduated as the number one pilot in his class. After that he bought his own airplane and for the next six years of his life he spent flying an airplane for Robertson Aircraft Corporation. The planes filled with mail he flew from St. Louis, Missouri to Chicago, Illinois. During this time he was also a barnstormer which is a stunt pilot that does stunts over fairs and other public gatherings. During this time he received a reputation of not only being a cautions pilot but a quite capable pilot as well. A New York City hotel owner named Raymond Orteig started the Orteig Prize. The Orteig Prize was a twenty five thousand dollars for the first man to fly across the Atlantic Ocean solo and without stopping in between. Many pilots were injured or even killed trying to win the Orteig Prize. Raymond Orteig started the competition in 1919 and Charles Lindbergh had b... ...aui, Hawaii. He is buried in a small church graveyard in Kipahulu, Hawaii. After his death a collection of his writings were published in 1978 and the book was entitled â€Å"Autobiography of Values†. Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an explorer and pioneer in the field of aviation. His story showed great triumph of the human spirit. When Charles Lindbergh’s son had been kidnapped it shocked and fascinated the entire world. He was not only one of the finest pilots of his time but he was an excellent public speaker. In the 1920’s and 1930’s English teachers used his writings and even more often his wife’s writings in their English lessons. English and History teachers still use Charles Lindbergh’s and his wife’s works in their lessons. Even though Lindbergh was most famous for his transatlantic flight and winning the Orieg Prize he is also honored for his expertise in aviation and promoting â€Å"good will† throughout the Latin American countries. He is also given partial credit for such creations as the Boeing 747. Lindbergh was also a great combat pilot in World War II when fighting against the Japanese as a civilian. That is how Cha rles Lindbergh became one of the world’s greatest heroes.

“Obasan” by Joy Kogawa Essay

The issue of racial conflict has caused great controversy for many centuries. Conflict which is incited by racism is often thought to be the worst of all conflicts because it is unfounded and based on utterly false beliefs. In society today, there are many racist people who put down and almost ostracize the people of another community. In Joy Kogawa’s novel, Obasan, the issue of racism is discussed through the various letters kept by Obasan which in turn provides a first-hand look at was done to Naomi’s family. In Obasan, there are many instances where the Joy Kogawa uses images of animals, such as insects, kittens and especially chickens to support a general theme of dehumanization. Also these animals always seem to correspond to human beings, whether they are generalized groups or individual characters. In other words, it is very apparent to see the foreshadowing of the story and also the close connection between the animals in the story and the human condition of the story, through the use of these vivid images of the animals. At the very beginning of the novel, when Obasan and Naomi are  rummaging through the attic and getting reminded about all of the memories, they come across a family of spiders. These spiders are described as being â€Å"round black blots, large as a cat’s eye† (24) and in a sense, disgusting enough to send shivers down any persons’ spine. This description of the black and creepy spiders is a foreshadowing of all of the memories that Obasan and Naomi have, as the memories and the plot itself is quite dark and horrific. There are many â€Å"large and black† memories that Naomi has such as the death of her mother and the incident in Old Man Gower’s bathroom. However, it is possible to assume that the blackest memories are the ones that deal with the racism towards the Japanese community. For example, it seems that everyone who has ever had an effect on Naomi, good or bad, has deserted her with time. Also, on the way to school, Naomi and Stephen are taunted and teased by the other school kids. Most importantly, the very way that the Canadian Government mistreated the Japanese community, sending them to concentration camps, putting them on trains and forcing them to live in tiny huts, is a cruel memory. This memory a will probably stay with Naomi for the rest of her life much like the ancient spiders in the attic. The part of the novel with the kitten trapped underneath the outhouse in another, quite disgusting look at the issue of racism. The thing that is so shocking about this part is that the white-haired girl blames Naomi for something that Naomi obviously did not do, throwing a kitten down in the outhouse. What is even more shocking is that the girl, the owner of the kitten does not go down and get her kitten, but instead leaves the kitten there to eventually die. The girl can represent the white Canadian and the kitten can be seen as a Japanese Canadian living in that society. The kitten is stuck in the outhouse, which can represent Canada. While it is down there, â€Å"no one is nearby†¦no one comes to help† (172) even though the cat makes â€Å"a faint steady mewing† (172). Since there is no one around the kitten will eventually be forgotten about. In other words, the Canadian government tries to get rid of the Japanese community by sending them to concentration camps where, despite all of the arguments and letters sent by Aunt Emily to be heard (the mewing), the Japanese community will probably be forgotten about as there is no one around. Another example of this animal imagery is when Naomi is standing alone in the backyard next to the cage of the white hen, she places one by one little yellow chicks in the cage with the hen. Suddenly and â€Å"without warning, the hen jabs down on the [chicks]† (62) consistently. Through the use of this animal imagery, the issue of racism is clearly apparent. For example, the hen can be seen as the white people living in â€Å"the cage† or Canada. Slowly, the Japanese people, in this case the yellow chicks, immigrate into the cage. Without doing anything wrong or anything that would anger the hen, or white people, the hen comes down and starts pecking at the chicks. In this part, it is possible to assume that the sole reason that the hen comes down on the chicks is that the yellow chicks have appearances different than the white hen. Also, there is a great deal of foreshadowing in this little part of the novel as the Canadian people will soon start ostracising the Japanese Canadian community with no warning at all. Not only will they ostracise the community, the Canadians, although they do not kill the Japanese like the hen did to the chicks, but the racism is so strong that they will send the Japanese on concentration camps away from all urban areas and even treat  them like animals forcing them into little tool shed houses covered with cow manure for a roof. Another example of the chicken imagery is in the school yard where a bunch of Japanese schoolboys are killing a white chicken. This imagery of the chicken suffering is one of the better examples of racism in the novel. This killing of the chicken can symbolise the anger that the Japanese community have against the white Canadians after the way that they have been treated. This hatred and anger is in fact so strong that it is not good enough to just kill the chicken, but they â€Å"got to make it suffer† (169). This is kind of ironic as well, because the chicken can be seen as the Japanese community and the schoolboys can be seen as the white Canadians. The Canadians in the novel continuously make the Japanese people â€Å"suffer† instead of killing them instantly as killing them or deporting them would affect the Canadian image. It is for this reason that the Canadians decide to torment the Japanese and try to cover everything up. In conclusion, Obasan, by Joy Kogawa deals with the issue of racism in a very efficient way by using unique images of animals to not only represent human beings in society, but also to help support the theme of this dehumanization. Racism in society is extremely awful as it is based on utterly false beliefs. In the novel, for example, all Japanese were considered to be evil people even though the Japanese living in Canada did hardly anything to the Canadians. Individuals of a certain community are being ostracized by other people for being of a certain race. Obasan, teaches us that we should not consider a certain community to be evil, but embrace the differences in society. In other words, Hitler was a fanatical German, however not all Germans are fanatical.

Analysis of The Story of An hour - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 582 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/06/10 Category Literature Essay Tags: The Story Of An Hour Essay Did you like this example? No woman or man hasnt fallen in love before. It every man and woman desire to be together and cant wait for the moment that can happen. Most of them think that because they dont know the consequences after that happen. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Analysis of The Story of An hour" essay for you Create order The idea of love blind their minds and cant see any further and foresee the products of marriage. It is still the same without any development and the consequences usually are predicted. Kate Chopin, in the of an hour the death of the husband and his wife got affected by that to symbolize the control of marriage over women. Mrs. Louise Mallard is a wife with a heart attack who discovers her husband death in a bus disaster. The heart attack she has could represent the suffrage and stress she is experiencing from that marriage. When she heard the news of his death she was sad and started to cry like any woman would do for her dead husband. She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sisters arms. When the storm of grief had spent itself she went away to her room alone.(Chopin B). The story starts to be more valuable when she went to her room and started to look through the window. The setting begins to explain the excitement of her feelings and the effects they have over her. She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. (Chopin A). The use of spring express the rebirth and hope. She starts to have new feelings that were unfamiliar with her while she was looking through the window. Mrs. Louise felt that consequences after many years of marriage between her and her husband. Barbara Ewell adds that love has been, for Louise and others, the primary purpose of life, but through new perspective, she comprehends that ?love, the unsolved mystery counts for very little. . . . (Q and A). Her perspective on love had changed since her marriage. She discovered that love wasnt what she expected it to be. She understood love as her only reason to live and it doesnt count for much. Her husband have the ultimate control over her like being in jail where she will not be freed until he die then she can truly enjoy her independence. She said it over and over under breath: free, free, free! The vacant stare of terror that had followed it went from her eyes. (Chopin B). Mrs. Louise is now more happy and have great enthusiasm as she is examining the joy of freedom. The idea of starting a new life and being an independent woman with no control, limits or duties what led to her enthusiasm. Even though she loved him sometimes, but in a proposal she didnt really wanted to marry him. Finally, when he showed up again and for her freedom to be gone by that speed really shocked her to the limits of dying immediately. The sadness that Mrs. Louise had when she heard of her husband death changed into joy quickly after she recognized that she could be free and independent for the rest of her life. The Story of an Hour reflects Chopinrs view of the repressive role that marriage played in womenrs lives as the protagonist, Louise Mallard, feels immense freedom only when her husband has died. Kate Chopin wants to clarify for the readers that not all women desire to live their lives traditionally.