Interdependence and the Environment

World industrialization and technological

development have increased international
interdependence.

Actions taken by one state can have an impact on the

other states.

Trade, economy , nuclear weapons leads of a state etc.

Collective good problem is generated among states

Interdependence and the Environment
Environment is a collective good and states are
fighting to distribute its cost equally. Example:
fishiers

What is state fair quote for fish???

Epistemic Communities

Earth Day and Energy crisis in 1970…..a stimulus to

think in environment and economic growth.
Sustainable Economic Development
1992 Earth summit has its significance in this regard.

It refers to economic growth that does not deplete

resources and destroy ecosystems that the basis of
economic growth itself undermined.

Three major thoughts that occurs with time.

Sustainable Economic Development
1. Exponential growth and technology
2. Excessive growth leads to ecological disaster
( carrying capacity)
3. S- Curve and steady state economy
 Earth Summit and Agenda 21
 Commission on Sustainable development
 China hydroelectric station
Managing the Environment
Preserving the health of the atmosphere is a benefit
that effects people throughout the world… This
time the two major problems of atmosphere are:

Global Warming
Ozone depletion
Global Warming
Global climate change, or global warming, is a
slow, long-term rise in the average world
temperature, caused by the emission of carbon-
dioxide and other gases, and is getting worse.

It is difficult to reduce the emission as these gases

arise from the activities that drive the industrial
economy. These are called “Greenhouse Gases”.
Global Warming
The cost of reducing these gases is high,
because the solution entails the shift of
economic growth into new technological
parts.
Another major issue for individual states is
that the cost of reducing the greenhouse
emissions are unrelated to the benefits of the
solution.
If most states took such steps, a “free rider”
that do not go along will save money and
still benefit from the solution
Global Warming
 Global warming presents states with a
triple dilemma.
Short-term and predictable costs to
gain long-term less predictable benefits.
Specific constituencies pay the cost
whereas the benefits are distributed
generally.
Benefits are shared globally whereas
cost is extracted from individual state.
Global Warming
The third dilemma is complicated by the North-
South gap, which creates divergent expectations
about fair allocation of costs.

 Framework Convention on Climate Change”

adapted at 1992 Earth Summit set a goal to limit
the greenhouse emissions to 1990 level by the year
2000.
Global Warming
The 1997 “Kyoto Protocol” adopted a
complex formula for reducing it, in which the
global south received preferential treatment,
having low per capita.

Moving without U.S support,160 countries

agreed to implement it. This calls 40
industrialized states to reduce emission with
binding penalties for failure. The EU pledged
$400 million per year to global south to
reduce its emission.
Global Warming
Many technical experts now argue that
dramatic effects can be gained through
energy efficient measures, that will make
economic activity more efficient too.

The UN Environment Program (UNEP),

monitor the environmental conditions
whereas “Intergovernmental Panel Climate
Change” serve as negotiating forum for this
issue.
• A second major atmospheric problem being negotiated by the
world’s GOVT. is the depletion of ozone.
• Ozone layer screens out harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun.
•Certain chemicals expelled by industrial economies that interact
with ozone in that breaks it down.
•The main culprits are CFCs and Aerosols sprays.
•Over ANTARCTICA and NORTH AMERICA, hole is becoming
larger and larger. And people are being warned not to have
increased exposure in sun which can cause Skin diseases like skin
cancer etc.
•Increased radiation can kill off vegetation and agricultural yield
and disrupt ecosystem.
OZONE DEPLETION
 OZONE DEPLETION
States have had more success in negotiating agreements and
developing regimes to manage the ozone problem.

In the 1987 Montreal Protocol,22 states agreed to reduce CFCs by

50% by 1998.

In 1990,the timetable was accelerated and signatories expanded

81 agreed to eliminate all CFCs by 2000.

They all make efforts to make such technology that will produce
CFCs.
 BIODIVERSITY
Biodiversity refers to the tremendous diversity of plant and
animal species making up the earth’s ecosystems.
 Biologists believe that the 1.4 million species they have
identified and normal a small fraction of the total number of
species.
Because of human’s destruction of ecosystems, large numbers
of species are already extinct and others are in danger of
becoming so.
The cause of their extinction include:
 Overhunting
 Overfishing
 Introducing nonnative species.
 BIODIVERSITY
It has been difficult to reach international agreement on
sharing cost of preserving biodiversity.UN convention on
trade in endangered species has reduced but not eliminated
such trade.
Many environmentalists have a special concern for Whales
and Dolphins which are like humans as they are large-
brained mammals.
International Whaling Commission set quotas for hunting
such species.
American Tropical Tuna Commission regulates method used
to fish for Tuna, aiming to minimize Dolphin losses.
Forests and Oceans
Two types of habitat
1- forests
2- ocean
Profitable
Different
Rain Forests
Half of the world’s species live in rain forests
Replenish oxygen and reduce carbon dioxide
belongs to a few states
Largest rain forests are in poor states.
World bank criticizes environmentalists.
Oceans
Covering 70 percent of the earth’s surface.
No authority exists to enforce regulations.
Short term benefits can cause long term
environmental damages
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea negotiated
from 1973 to 1982.
Rules.
International sea bed authority.
Antarctica
belongs to no state.

Continent’s strategic and commercial value are

limited.

The Antarctic treaty of 1959

Pollution
Pollution generally creates a collective goods
problems.
Pollution is more often a regional and bilateral issue
with some exception.
The effect of pollution are limited to the state where
it occurs and its close neighbor.
Pollution(cont…)
It has three types.
Air pollution
Water pollution
Noise pollution
Air pollution
Toxic gases from industries, cars, nuclear plants etc.

Air pollution causes global warming , ozone hole and

acid rain.

U.S and Canada signed treaty to protect environment.

Water Pollution.
It often crosses border as well especially because
industrial pollution , human sewage , agriculture
fertilizer and pesticides all tends to run into rivers and
sea.

States occasionally try to ship such wastes out of

country.

In 1989,100 states signed a treaty under UN auspices.

Noise pollution
Noise is also a big problem for civilians.
It can causes hearing loss, physical ailments including
an increase in heart rate, high blood pressure,
elevated levels of blood Cholesterol, ulcers, headaches
and colitis. Indirectly, noisy surroundings at home
and school can adversely affect children; language
development and their ability to read.