Law views
World Environment Day
Healthy environment is a fundamental right
Barrister Harun ur Rashid
Last 5th June was the World Environment Day. Every nation observes it because the future of whole human kind is in danger because of environmental degradation.
In 2006, former Vice President Albert Gore in his book “An Inconvenient Truth” does a great job presenting the various forms of overwhelming evidence for global warming and mankind's link to it, but he doesn't do it in a political or spiteful way.
He shows global temperature and atmospheric carbon patterns, and that our last 20 years saw the highest emission of carbon dioxide over the previous 600,000 years. The story of the book has been made a film that dispels doubt about global warming.
Even more importantly, it goes to show why we should care that global warming is occurring. He argues if global warming continues at its current rate, the earth's coastlines will be flooded displacing tens of millions of people, it will increase the strength and frequency of hurricanes and tornadoes and it will irrevocably kill off many of our animals and plants. Therefore these natural flora and fauna are to be protected for sustainability for future generations.
Causes of environmental degradation
The causes of environmental degradation are largely attributed to:
* Growth of Population
* Overuse of natural resources
* Use of fuel-based energy
* Poverty
* Affluent style of life and consumerism
Human beings are responsible for the degradation of environment. Human activities after the Industrial Revolution (1750 onwards) have concentrated to rapid industrialization ignoring the protection of natural environment. Economic growth was the prime drive of industrialization.
There is a direct nexus between industrialization and toxic emissions (greenhouse gases). In essence what is good for industrialization is generally bad for environment unless precautions are taken to remove the environmental hazards or degradations.
Sustainable development means that natural resources may be used in such a way as to “meet today's needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.” What we need is to blend economic growth with environmental sustainability.
It has been reported that 20 trees offset some of the pollution of a car driven for an hour. Modern life style for wealthy people is to have cars and modern gadgets that emit greenhouse gases.
A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a U.N. network of more than 2,000 scientists said an increase in temperature of 3.6 degrees Celsius could subject up to 2 billion people to water shortages by 2050, and threaten extinction for 20 percent to 30 percent of the world's species.
The threat to global environment was first highlighted in the 1972 Stockholm Conference on Human Environment where right to healthy environment was recognised as one of the fundamental rights to a person.
The theme of environment was considered in the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and after ten years, in 2002 at the Johannesburg Earth Summit II. Non-binding actions were adopted by the conferences. The US and oil rich-countries opposed binding obligations on the states at the conferences.
The most important treaty on environment was the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. It came into effect in February 2005 and ends on 2012. Under the Protocol there are binding caps on emission of greenhouse gases. Under the Protocol, European nations would reduce greenhouse gases by 8% per cent and Japan by 6% per cent below 1990 levels.
Australia's new government under Prime Minister Kevin Rudd ratified the Kyoto Protocol at the beginning of this year. However, the US, the biggest polluter on earth, is not a party to Protocol and that is why the effect of the Protocol has been negligible.
The Europeans take seriously environmental degradation and Germany has proposed to reduce 50% of the greenhouse gases by 2050. Italy, France, Britain and Japan support Germany's proposal.
The Bush administration has realized that it could no longer ignore environmental degradation. President Bush reportedly stated to the media that the US and would set a long-term global goal for reducing greenhouse gases in consultation with major greenhouse gas-producing nations.
The President's proposal reflects the difficulties his administration is facing in grappling climate change as the scientific consensus has continued to build in favour of action to control the buildup of heat-trapping gases.
As a follow up, a conference was held in Bali in last December. The purpose of the Bali conference was to negotiate a long term policy response to climate change beyond 2012 when the first phase of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol expires. The second period of the Kyoto Protocol starts on 2013 where developing countries (such as China, India, South Korea and Brazil) are exempted from any cut in emissions.
Against the background, developed countries are eager to make a compact with developing countries for emissions-cut in a new global treaty where China, Brazil, South Korea and India agree to cut emissions in future.
A meeting of the Kyoto parties in Austria in August ,2007 recommended emission cuts for rich nations of 25 to 40 per cent by 2020 and green groups are keen for a similar figure to be mentioned in the future global agreement.
How to reverse the environmental degradation?
It will be a slow process but there must be a beginning in earnest. One of the issues that may be taken into account is the use of renewable source of energy, such as wind power, solar power, tidal wave and geo-thermal. It has been suggested that 15% per cent of energy should come from renewable resources by 2015.
These sources of energy have been utilized in Europe. New Zealand has started to depend on geo-thermal energy. In Japan major housing companies have introduced a new type of dwelling with silicon roof tiles that generate enough electricity to meet most of a family's needs.
“Greener” cars are being thought of as the chief villain in global warming is the emission of carbon dioxide. That means reducing consumption of oil and gas in running vehicles and in production process.
All-electric powered cars are being experimented. It is reported that electric cars accelerate swiftly and can drive at highway high speeds but they need re-charging. Many suggest more practical appears to be the so-called hybrid cars that have both a battery-driven motor and a gasoline engine- with the ability to switch back and forth between the two power systems.
Solar-powered cars are being experimented as well. Another approach is to power cars with fuel cells, which combine hydrogen with oxygen to form water vapour and electricity.
Research may be carried out to develop new sources of power. The need of designing a new kind of global economy without depending on fossil fuel (oil and gas) seems to be one of the answers to protect natural environment. David Suzuki, a Canadian environmentalist, believes that rich nations that pollute much of the natural environment have not spent money on alternative energy anywhere near the funds which go into space exploration. It is estimated that NASA alone has spent US$100 billion as of 2000.
Bangladesh and environment
Bangladesh will be victim of degradation of environment. If the sea rises due to global climate change many parts of coastal area will be under water, displacing about 33 million people.
Furthermore, salinity will gradually intrude into surface and ground water supplies. Urban air pollution and ground water contamination with arsenic, improper disposal of industrial, medical and household wastes have added environmental hazardous in the country.
Poverty leads to unsanitary practices that pollute environment. There is no urbanization plan in towns and cities, slums are growing in around outskirts of cities. Forests are denuded and currently it stands only 9% per cent of the total territory.
Floods are source of soil erosion and as a result rivers in Bangladesh are silted. During winter season, water is less in rivers, some of them are dry. It is reported about 80 rivers are dead and about 100 are dying out.
It has been reported that 18 species of birds and animals have been extinct in Bangladesh. Human settlements have taken away habitats of animals that have led to extinction of flora and fauna.
The people in the country are not sitting idle. Several NGOs have led a vigorous campaign in the country to arrest environmental degradation and an awareness campaign of environmental hazards among public has started for some time by NGOs. Many workshops on environment are being held in the country. Media has taken an active interest in providing warning to environmental degradation and its adverse consequences.
To respond to public sentiments, in recent years governments have adopted certain concrete steps, such as setting up of Environmental Courts and the 1995 Act was amended to ban production, marketing and distribution of polythene bags.
Wetland Act 2000 has been enacted to ensure that these water- lands (haor and baor) remain. If they remain as they are, some people think they are useless. They forget wetland ecosystem has a strong link with human life such as securing human livelihood through maintenance of protein, water and energy, preventing sedimentation as well as wind erosion.
Conclusion
On this day, informed people, NGOs and government may highlight awareness among people the need to protect natural environment, otherwise the nation will confront many unforeseen adverse situations in future. Bangladesh and other low-lying countries may make combined efforts through international forum and the UN to embark on a programme on sustainable development.
Saving the environment is a big job. World Environment Day is an important reminder of the need to ensure a sustainable future of our next generations. It is about providing people, protecting our environment. Sustainability is an integrated approach to meet economic goals without destroying or polluting environment. The slogans are “think globally, act locally” and “recycle, reduce and reuse”.
The writer is Former Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN, Geneva.
