Does Environmental Laws and Policies Work?A Review Of Ghana’s Case

Enforcing environmental laws and policies has been one of the pressing agenda globally.Despite the mandate given to the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA)by the Act 490,there are still numerous environmental issues unaddressed in Ghana.This paper is geared towards unravelling and identifying the current additions that have been made to existing literature on environmental laws and policies in Ghana.This paper made a wide-ranging general literature review to outline significant contributions concerning environmental laws and policies.Numerous environmental laws and policies were identified but have been fragmented and are not codified in a particular document.It is evident from the review of literature existing that there are still areas for advanced research on the topic of environmental laws and policies placing more emphasis on institution concerned with environmental issues at global level.The study recommended the need for capacity building for environmental personnel and data due to the numerous technological advancement to better assist the implementation and enforcement of environmental laws in Ghana.

Study on Regulatory Issues of Environmental Laws of Rural Tourism in China

In recent years, rural tourism in China vigorously developed, which promoted economic and social development in rural area. However, serious environmental problems appeared in the development process of rural tourism since rural tourism lacked effective and comprehensive super- vision. These environmental problems included environmental pollution and ecological damage. However, environmental legal system about rural tourism had many problems, such as the lagged legislation, the absence of law enforcement supervision, imperfect judicial system and weak law- abiding awareness. Therefore, it became the solution to solve environmental problems brought by rural tourism in China, and was also the safe- guard for promoting sustainable development of rural tourism in China to establish a sound legal system for rural tourism, implement strict law en- forcement supervision of rural tourism, build litigation system of environmental public interest and enhance law-abiding awareness of rural tourism. For legal defects of regulating rural tourism and its induced environmental problems in China, we tried to perfect regulation of environmental law for rural tourism in China.

Implications of Declining Ground Water and Water Quality in the US Southeastern Coastal Plain Ecoregion and Areawide Environmental Impact Statement Required for Mining in the Greater Okefenokee Swamp Basin—Part 1

Karst aquifers occur worldwide and exhibit groundwater flow responses that differ considerably from aquifers lacking fractures, bedding planes, and other karst conduits where significant and rapid groundwater flow can occur. The regional, karst Floridan aquifer system underlies the United States (US) Southeastern Coastal Plain Physiographic Region and exhibits hydrologic interconnections with overlying surficial aquifers and throughout other zones of the aquifer system, as is characteristic of other karst aquifer systems. Anthropogenic groundwater declines in this regional karst aquifer system have been documented in published literature for decades, but the impacts of those declines in this coastal plain region and the embedded ecosystems that provide essential and critical habitat for native, endemic, and federally endangered and threatened species have not been considered previously. Those anthropogenic groundwater declines reduce surfacewater levels and flows due to the capture of both groundwater and overland flow of surfacewater, resulting in induced recharge through semi-confining zones and interbasin flow through fractures and other karst conduits. This case study identifies examples from the Greater Okefenokee Swamp Basin study area and comparison areas of how those declines result in loss of historic base flow to surface waters and other capture of surface waters, ultimately increasing saltwater intrusion. Those results alter and degrade the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters, in violation of the US Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972. Historic groundwater declines from mining and other anthropogenic groundwater withdrawals from this regional karst aquifer system already threaten the survival and recovery of federally endangered and threatened species, as well as existing and proposed critical habitat for those species within this regional extent, in violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973. This case study and its companion publication (Part 2) appear to be the first to provide scientific support for this regional karst aquifer system as the unifying factor in habitat responses to irreversible groundwater impacts on aquatic and marine ecosystems. These adverse impacts strongly suggest that the extent of the regional Floridan aquifer system should be designated as the Southeastern Coastal Plain Ecoregion for the purpose of managing natural resources. Mining activities continue to expand in our study area, which is the Greater Okefenokee Swamp Basin. Despite that fact, no comprehensive Areawide Environmental Impact Statement (AEIS), similar to the AEIS required for phosphate mining within the Central Florida Phosphate District (CFPD) approximately a decade ago has been conducted for any of the numerous mining projects that are occurring and are proposed within the Greater Okefenokee Swamp Basin. This case study also provides examples of why a comprehensive AEIS is essential to consider all of the adverse direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of those mining activities to the CWA, the ESA, and the irreversible losses to local economies, because federal agencies responsible for considering those adverse impacts rely on public comments to identify those adverse impacts. The mining activities authorized throughout the regional Floridan aquifer system under Category 44 Nationwide Permits (NWP) result in the same type of adverse impacts as the mining activities evaluated under Individual Permits in that region. Therefore, those Category 44 NWP mining activities also should be required to obtain Individual Permits and be evaluated under an AEIS in the Greater Okefenokee Swamp Basin. This case study also describes how Florida’s assumption of the CWA Section 404 regulatory authority in 2020 severs four sub-basins within the Greater Okefenokee Swamp Basin study area at the state line between Florida and Georgia.

Analysis of the Game for the Air Pollution in the Perspective of the Amendment about Environmental Law

The haze has become the necessary thing to talk about everywhere for the Chinese people nowadays and the main report object in the news. It becomes increasingly urgent to develop the circular economy and build a beautiful China. But there exists secretly a game between the central and local governments when the air protection is enforced. The central government calls for implementing the total control system of the key pollutant emission,but the local governments are blandly ignoring the central government＇s requirement as they have to face the pressures of the assessment and performance. And the games among the local governments at the same level and between the governments and enterprises lead that the existing incentive policy through the legislation is inefficiency in China. The amendment about Environmental Law has laid foundation of the legal system for it.

Research on Environmental Public Interest Litigation in Taiwan

As germination and rise of public environmental awareness in Taiwan, large-scale air pollution, water pollution, noise, land subsidence and other public hazards harming human health and living environment caused by various production or consumption activities are generated. Facing the situation of environment increasingly aggravates, environmental public interest litigation system is constructed. First, Article 9 of Administrative Procedure Law stipulates public interest litigation;then ,Article 34 of Environmental Basic Law cleady stipulates important elements of public interest litigation. In the research, taking the first environmental public interest litigation in Taiwan as the example, collusion process between government and developer, and private environmental protection groups finally obtaining victory through the continuous effort and litigation are illustrated, thereby uncovering so-called ＂legal＂ saying by government and developer. Environmental maintenance and improvement is the duty of every citizen should do, but not only the duty of govemment, which is mentality of environmental public interest litigation development should have and road must take.

Norms of International Law on Environmental Protection in Wartime: Application and Improvement

The enormous environmental damage caused by war makes it necessary for international law to balance the reality of military necessity with the need to ensure the survival of human beings and other life forms. International law provides a large number of norms for environmental protection in wartime, constituting a legal order including general and special norms of wartime law and wartime environmental protection obligations of international law in peacetime. It explicitly prohibits unreasonable environmental damage caused by military needs in wartime. Contrary to the cognition that there is no international norm to protect the environment in wartime,the key reason that causes the effect of environmental protection in wartime is not as good as expected lies in the different degrees of defects in the application of these complex norms. It is a more important and practical path choice to renew the general principles of wartime environmental protection, expand the scope of application of wartime laws and special environmental norms, strengthen the wartime application of international law in peacetime, and give full play to the maximum effectiveness of the existing normative system than to expect the new convention to accomplish the whole task at one stroke.

Implications of Declining Ground Water and Water Quality in the Greater Okefenokee Swamp Basin for Survival and Recovery of Federally Endangered and Threatened Marine and Aquatic Species and Critical Habitat in the US Southeastern Coastal Plain Ecoregion—Part 2

The Floridan aquifer system underlies the United States (US) Southeastern Coastal Plain Physiographic Region. Anthropogenic groundwater declines in that regional karst aquifer system, via semi-confining zones, have been documented in published literature for decades. These anthropogenic groundwater declines reduce surfacewater levels and flows, which increases saltwater intrusion and alters the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters, in violation of the US Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972. Historic groundwater declines from mining and other anthropogenic groundwater withdrawals from this regional karst aquifer system already threaten the survival and recovery of marine and aquatic federally endangered and threatened species, as well as existing and proposed critical habitat for those species within the Southeastern Coastal Plain Ecoregion. Examples of marine and aquatic species and their designated critical habitat adversely affected by groundwater declines in the Greater Okefenokee Swamp Basin of this ecoregion include the federally endangered south Atlantic Distinct Population Segments (DPS) of the Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus), shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum), and oval pigtoe mussel (Pleurobema pyriforme), as well as the federally threatened Gulf subspecies of the Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) and Suwannee moccasinshell (Medionidus walkeri). In 2020, rules were adopted by two federal agencies allowing significant further degradation of the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters that are essential for maintaining federally listed species and their habitat in this Ecoregion. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has acknowledged the harm to these species and critical habitat from mining and additional groundwater alterations, but no comprehensive Areawide Environmental Impact Statement (AEIS), similar to the AEIS required for mining within the Peace River Basin, has been conducted for any of the numerous mining projects that are expanding and proposed within the Greater Okefenokee Swamp Basin to evaluate all indirect and cumulative adverse impacts to all federally listed species.

A Review of Native Hawaiian Benefits Received through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

On August 16th, 2022, Public Law 117-169, The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, was signed into law by the President of the United States, Joseph R. Biden Jr. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provides the Native Hawaiian community an opportunity to engage in activities of climate resilience and adaptation through making funds available to support such actions. This article provides a preliminary policy analysis of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 to identify the opportunities presented by this legislation that can provide ecological and cultural benefit to the Native Hawaiian community. Findings suggest policy language included in this Act is broad which emphasizes the need for the Senior Program Director of the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations, who is tasked with fund distribution, to rely upon the knowledge of the Native Hawaiian community and ecological experts to direct funds in a manner that best benefits the Native Hawaiian community.

Human Rights Connotations and Its Legal Protection in the Harmonious Coexistence between Humans and Nature

Promoting the unity of human nature and sociality in practice is a fundamental path dependence for achieving people's well-rounded development.Within the context of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature,the practice of the unity of human nature and sociality is allowed to be truly implemented,and people's well-rounded development moves from possibility to reality.Strengthening the protection of human rights for people's well-rounded development in the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature not only requires the expansion of the connotations of environmental rights from“the right to a healthy environment”to“the right to a beautiful environment”,but also necessitates the formation of a collaborative framework between environmental rights and development rights.For legal responses to the expansion of the connotations of environmental rights,it is necessary to implement such expansions in environmental legislation,enhance the underlying principles,and make progress in the development of systematic environmental legislation simultaneously.Regarding the legal promotion of the synergy between environmental rights and development rights,it is essential to follow the guidance of the“Two Mountains Theory,”take the coordinated functions of environmental and traditional legal departments as the basis,and build a legal mechanism for the realization of the value of ecological products and services.

Study on the Changes of China's Water Right System

Irrigation was developed in ancient China.The management of water resources has existed since ancient times when the embryonic form of water right system was established.From perspectives of environmental law,the water rights system in ancient China,especially the water rights system after Ming Dynasty,gave no explicit concept to water rights,but the participatory management of water users was included in implementation.Such management had the same connotation with the modern concept of water rights and thereby it has an instructional significance to perfect the water rights system of in modern China.

Macro Impact of the Law on Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution on Power Industry Development

The newly revised and enlarged main contents of the Law of Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution are described, The macro impacts of the law on the power industry development are analyzed mainly in respects to power demand and readjustment of power structure and layout. clean production and pollution control level, scientific management of environmental protection, in accordance with law as well as changes of construction and operation costs. And finally, several questions worthy to be noted in course of implementation of the new law are enumerated.

Free Trade and Employment in the ASEAN： From Theory to Empirical

The issue of flee trade and employment has been aconcemed for many countries for a long time. It seems that there exists a tradeoffbetween them. This paper looks back at the theories from the classical economics and discusses the role of free trade in economics. It also discusses the relationship between free trade and a nation＇s wealth, and the problems of free trade we face today. The theory is not challenged in the paper; however, the multi-functional state engaged within the market for full employment is included. The statistics and data of ASEAN are utilized to explain and examine the theory. A few ways of government intervention are introduced and regulations that are detrimental to employment are also discussed.

Roadmap for the Construction of an Ecological Rule of Law in China

The Report of the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012 emphasizes building a socialist country based on the rule of law as China＇s overall governance strategy. At the same time, it has expanded the ＂four in one＂ to ＂five in one＂; i.e. the construction of an ecological civilization has been added to the other major tasks in socialist construction with Chinese characteristics---economic construction, political construction, cultural construction, and social construction, thus setting out the roadmap for China＇s construction of an environmental system based on the rule of law. The aim of this construction is to establish an environmental legal system that corresponds to China＇s ecological civilization, and its main task is to integrate environmental rationality into the operation of the rule of law by improving environmental legal mechanisms and institutions.