Introduction

• Author: Jamie Benidickson
• Pages: 1-10

1

INTRODUC TION

A. LAW AND THE ENVIRONMENT

In Canada and elsewhere, passionate advocates contend vigorously

with resolute skeptics over many aspect s of the environmental a nd sus-

tainability agenda at the local, national, and global levels. And why

would they not, given the signif‌icance of the is sues facing the planet’s

7 billion current human inhabitants and the more than 2 billion who

are expected between now and 2050?

The Organization for Environmental Co-operation and Develop-

ment recently re-examined four environmental challenges that are

understood to be of some interest to the general population: climate

change, biodiversity, water, and the impacts of pollution on human

health. The results conf‌ir med that prospects are “more alarm ing” than

previously anticipated and called for furt her measures to be taken on

an urgent basis to avoid the consequences — and costs — of inaction.1

The potential responses a re diverse and often controversial. Means

to promote environmental protection include public education, greater

spending and investment to sa feguard environmental functions, eco-

nomic incentives and property right s to stimulate corporate and indi-

vidual action, continued technological innovation, and a legal regime

designed to prohibit environmentally detr imental activity and to en-

courage benef‌icial initiatives. Environmental law is thus a subject of

1 Environmental Outlo ok to 2050: The Consequen ces of Inaction (OEC D, 2012).