Introduction
Information and public participation play an important role in the protection of the environment. To that end they have become rights which are protected internationally, continentally and domestically, ensuring that all citizens and organizations are able to play an active role in the management of the environmental at all levels. By enabling public participation, governments are inevitably providing transparency in governance and therefore reinforcing the legislative and institutional safeguards that have been put in place to protect the environment. It is important that some level of transparency is available regarding environmental decisions in order to allow the public be aware of decision-making procedures, as well the
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Under Principle 10, public participation is a creature of three distinct requirements Firstly, there is a recognition that participation does not occur in a vacuum; rather, it is facilitated by a healthy understanding of the current state of the environment. The Rio Declaration recognized that “at the national level, each individual shall have appropriate access to information concerning the environment that is held by public authorities, including information on hazardous materials and activities in their communities .”
As such, there is a responsibility on governments to make available information on the environment and the current risks faced to the citizens. The Rio Declaration states that “states shall facilitate and encourage public awareness and participation by making information widely available” . This includes educating local communities as to the environmental risks they specifically face and their sources. It also means providing an adequate mechanism for governmental bodies to provide this information.
Secondly when the public is fully aware of the status of their environment, then citizens and interest groups should be provided with “the opportunity to participate in the decision making-process ”. Individuals and organizations should have a say in the drafting of legislation, regulation and guidelines.
As Graf puts it, in order to resume effective deliberation among the actors involved (stakeholders),That is to say, at the forefront of these discussions, there are both internal and external factors that depict a common application and must have an all around understanding of everyone’s values, interests, culture in order for deliberation to be successful (Graf 2011). All of these factors impact new innovations for environmental resources in “social and economic contexts” which trace back to the beginning and start all over again (Graf 2011;
The overall objective to this Goal is to ensure that the public is both involved in identifying, avoiding and minimizing environmental justice concerns. In addition, another objective to this Goal is maintenance and assurance of Tribal Relations. Furthermore, another objective is to maintain a database of national and community based organizations and networks concerned with environmental justice. Moreover, this goal has U.S.D.A. performance measures and target dates in similar fashion as the other
The SENEM is responsible for administering the National Environmental Fund and distributing resources in support of the Brazilian environmental policies. The National Environment Council (CONAMA) was created to serve the Secretary for the Environment as an advisory council and to set environmental and occupational standards and establish regulatory requirements for pollution. (Durmmond & Barros-Platiau, 2006) Over the next decade the new Brazilian Constitution, solidified four key principles of Brazil’s environmental policy. Primarily it established minimum air and water standards at the federal level, and allowed the state the ability to strengthening them to fit their particular environmental concerns. Secondarily, it allowed for flexibility in regulating pollution generated by various industries and limit their impact on the local ecosystem. In practicality, this segment established ecological reserves on the federal level and state governments to influence the establishment of industrial parks or zones. As of the early 2000s, only Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina have actively applied these industrial zoning management authorizations. Third, permits became integral on the state level to keep control over the environmental management system controlling regulated releases into the environment. Finally, the ability levy fines and system of appeals were integrated into the law allowing regulators
proactive long-term engagement and partnerships with stakeholders, including regulators, scientists, customers, business partners, civil society organizations and the community, in order to define, implement and evaluate solutions to the complex environmental challenges we are facing.
The Bible has been translated into 451 languages, sold over 6 billion times, and depicted in over 40 movies. The Bible and the crucifixion of the Messiah are prominent aspects in cultures all around the world today. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has been translated, dramatized, televised, adapted, and cartooned. In “The Dream of the Rood,” translated by R.M. Liuzza, the Biblical cross comes to life to tell its own version of Christ’s death and resurrection. The author recreated the Biblical account to appeal to the Anglo-Saxon warrior group to effectively convert them. However, the story from the cross’s perspective matches the crucial material of the Biblical account of the crucifixion without defaming Christ.
The Article, “Uncertainty, Risk, Trust, and Information: Public Perceptions of Environmental Issues and Willingness to Take Action” written by Reneé J. Johnson and Michael J. Scicchitano in its current form is unfit for publication. Johnson and Scicchitano should be commended for identifying a gap in our ability to accurately quantify the strength and intensity of environmental concerns. This gap is certainly worthy of further study; however, their execution and attempt to quantify this phenomena does not have the necessary wherewithal to close the gap in the literature as it stands.
(b) to promote the sharing of the responsibility for environmental planning between the different levels of government in the State, and
Further, public awareness can be a catalyst for opening a dialogue between industry and citizens. Industry's knowledge that the public is aware of the risk may increase recognition of their responsibility to the citizens in their area and may motivate them to take precautions. Further, the public can play an import role in changing social norms and in building consensus for other regulations needed in the state. Additionally, open discourse about the risk of exposure to environmental hazards by specific populations or communities will create opportunities for the state and stakeholders to proactively pursue health equity. All too often, the disproportionate risk and impact of disasters are an afterthought. The passage of this provision will facilitate communication of risk throughout potentially impacted areas in general, and will also likely contribute to decreased disparities in risk.
A recognition that access to a clean, healthy environment is a fundamental right of all human beings (McGraw-Hill, 2003).
Scattered with flowing rivers, lush forests, and everlasting plains, the environment is extraordinary, but is it a place for the government? Since December 2, 1970, the EPA has been restricting the use of our planet and taking our rights away.
However, the form of engagement and how the public contributes to the topic is in constant discussion in the literature (Chess and Pursell, 1999; Renn, 2006; Webler and Tuler, 2006). Another problem is that the public consists of many groups with different value structures and preferences, and conciliating all stakeholders’ interests is a tough task. A systematic procedure to reach consensus and preferences is necessary to reach a clear public position. Thus participatory processes are needed that combine technical expertise, rational decision making, public values and preferences (Renn, 2006). Knowing what people think about public participation processes and what they want from them is essential to achieve success in environmental
Complied during the Warring States Period, the Daodejing is widely known as one of China’s famous philosophy literature. This text reflects the general lament of a civilization that has been worn down from war and seeks to find peace by teaching people how to live by “the Way”. From a war-torn perspective, the Daodejing deems war and government corruption as evil and traces them back to greedy and power-hungry motives. As a successor to Confucius, it still carries some of his ethics. Because of its mystical overtones, it has acquired a large variety of interpretations. Its main teaching is if a person does nothing, then peace will be restored; it is the concept of non-action or 无为。When a person does not try to interfere and allows things to
In many cases intergovernmental intervention is only needed in niche or what Conklin, J. (2001) calls “wicked problems”. The problem of pollution is this case study, can be classed as a “wicked problem’ as it touched upon several arenas and considerations simultaneously required governmental responses that involve multiple jurisdictions and departments for effective resolution.
The First Amendment is one of the most important amendments that exists in the bill of rights. Some of our most important unalienable rights exist due to this amendment. They are, the freedom of speech, assembly, press, religion, and the right to petition.? But, what do all these freedoms grant? Well, here are the basic descriptions and origins for these freedoms.
Environmental issues have been a cause of a lot of debate in the recent past. Governments and nongovernmental organizations have been in constant consultations on how to help protect the environment. Apparently, as a result of man’s many actions, the natural environment is getting torn apart so quickly that the coming generations will not enjoy this kind of environment, unless a