Transcript List the institutions involved with international - science-b

AP Environmental
Science
Mr. Grant
Lesson 12
Environmental Policy: Decision
Making And Problem Solving
International Environmental
Policy
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
Objectives:
• Define the term World Trade Organization (WTO).
• List the institutions involved with international environmental
policy and describe how nations handle transboundary issues.
• TED - Can the interests of an individual nation be reconciled with
humanity's greater good? Can a patriotic, nationally elected
politician really give people in other countries equal consideration?
Following his TED talk calling for a global ethic, UK Prime
Minister Gordon Brown fields questions from TED Curator Chris
Anderson.
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
Define the term World Trade Organization (WTO).
• World Trade Organization (WTO) - Organization
based in Geneva, Switzerland, that represents
multinational corporations and promotes free trade by
reducing obstacles to international commerce and
enforcing fairness among nations in trading practices.
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
List the institutions involved with international environmental
policy and describe how nations handle transboundary issues.
Many environmental problems cross political boundaries and thus
must be addressed internationally.
• Environmental problems are not restricted by national borders
International policy includes customary law (law by shared traditional
custom) and conventional law (law by treaty).
• Customary law = practices or customs held by most cultures
• Conventional law = from conventions or treaties
- Montreal Protocol = nations agreed to reduce ozone-depleting
chemicals
- Kyoto Protocol = reduces fossil fuel emissions causing climate
change
• Nations can also make progress through multilateral agreements, hard
work, and diplomacy
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
List the institutions involved with international environmental
policy and describe how nations handle transboundary issues.
Institutions such as the United Nations, European Union,
World Bank, World Trade Organization, and
nongovernmental organizations all shape international
policy.
• International organizations influence nations through funding, peer
pressure, and media attention
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
- Helps nations understand and solve environmental problems
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
List the institutions involved with international environmental
policy and describe how nations handle transboundary issues.
• The World Bank = one of the world’s largest funding
sources for economic development
- Dams, irrigation, infrastructure
- Funds unsustainable, environmentally damaging
projects
• The European Union (EU) seeks to promote Europe’s
unity, economic and social progress
- Can sign binding treaties and enact regulations
- Can also issue advisory directives
- Sees environmental regulations as barriers to trade
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
List the institutions involved with international environmental
policy and describe how nations handle transboundary issues.
• The World Trade Organization (WTO)
- Represents multinational corporations
- Promotes free trade
• Can impose penalties on nations that don’t comply with
its directives
• Interprets environmental laws as unfair barriers to trade
- Brazil and Venezuela filed a complaint against U.S. regulations
requiring cleaner-burning fuel
- The WTO agreed with Brazil and Venezuela, despite threats to
human health
• Critics charge the WTO aggravates environmental
problems
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
List the institutions involved with international environmental
policy and describe how nations handle transboundary issues.
• Nongovernmental
Organizations (NGOs) =
entities that influence
international policy
• ENGOs (environmental
NGOs) = groups
advocating for
environmental protection
- Some do not get
politically involved
- Others try to shape
policy through research,
education, lobbying, or
protest
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
List the institutions involved with international environmental
policy and describe how nations handle transboundary issues.
• International institutions weld influence
• Globalization is making our world more interconnected
- Societies and ecosystems are being changed at
unprecedented rates
• Trade and technology allow increased consumption
- Consumptive nations exert incredible impacts
• Multinational corporations operate outside the reach of
national laws
- They don’t have the incentive to conserve resources
or act sustainably
• Organizations and institutions that shape policy are vital
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
TED Video
Britain's former prime minister Gordon
Brown played a key role in shaping the
G20 nations' response to the world's
financial crisis, and was a powerful
advocate for a coordinated global
response to problems such as climate
change, poverty and social justice.
Can the interests of an individual nation be
reconciled with humanity's greater good? Can a
patriotic, nationally elected politician really give
people in other countries equal consideration?
Gordon Brown on global ethic vs. national interest (17:10)
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.