Transboundary Pollution Flashcards
What happened in the GMO vs Organic Farm case?
Guy Watson was concerned with cross contamination of his crop with GMO maize being grown near his farm
ACRE ruled that at a distance of 2km risk = 0
What happened in the Rylands vs Fletcher case?
After the construction of a reservoir, water leaked through an abandoned mine - who is responsible for this?
Development of conflict over GMO?
May 2000 GM pollen found in honey
US Agricultural expert deemed that the mixing of GM and conventional seeds is probably widespread and impossible to prevent
Origin of the Polluter Pays Principle
1972 after the recommendation of the OECD
1992 Principle of the UN Declaration on the Env and Dev in Rio
National authorities should endeavour to promote the internalisation of environmental costs and polluter should bear the costs of pollution was due regard to public interest
What is the Polluter Pays Principle?
Polluter should bear the expense of carrying out the measures decided by the public authorities to ensure that the environment is in an acceptable state
What is a circular economy?
Design out waste and pollution
Keeps all products and materials in use
Stop the designing of obsolescence
What is the Trail Smelter case?
In 1896 smelting operations were being carried out in British Columbia near to the US border
In 1925 two stacks erected that there was sulphur dioxide damage in Washington
What were the damages of the sulphur estimated to be?
$350,000
What is the DRAX powerplant?
Used to be Europe’s largest coal fire power station
Now fuelled by biomass/biofuel
Produces around 70% of the countries electricity
Installing fire gas desulphuristation plant to neutralise 250,000 tonnes of annual sulphur emission
Why is DRAX desuplhur-ing?
In the 1960s a relationship between UK sulphur emissions and Scandinavian lakes was established
1972 UN conference began to actively combat acidification
1977 studies confirm that air pollutants can travel 1000s of km and cause damage
Which legislation followed this?
1979 CLRTAP was established - 1st internationally legally binding instrument to deal with air pollution
What is the European Community?
Established in 1967, initially with 3 and now 28 states primarily established to enhance economic cooperation
When was the Treaty of Rome established?
1957
What was the Maastricht treaty?
Aims to preserve, protect and improving quality of the environment, protecting human health, prudent and rational utilisation of natural resources and promoting measures at international level
When and what was Chernobyl?
1986 nuclear reactor in the former USSR (now Ukraine) explodes, releasing 100x more radiation than the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs, contaminating 125-146,000km2 of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine with caesium 137.
