Law, Policy and the Environment

Examines current environmental policy in the United Kingdom, and considers the role of law in the implementation of that policy.

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A "green revolution" is said to be taking place, and the UK Government professes to be a participant. Recent months have seen the enactment of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the publication of the White Paper on the Environment. The question must be asked, however, whether the rhetoric is being matched by corresponding action. Legislation may lie dormant on the statute book, economic factors are weighed against the needs of the environment, and the situation has been complicated by the political constraints of privatization and conflicts within the European Community. This book examines current environmental policy in the United Kingdom, and considers role of law in the implementation of that policy. Part 1 deals with the relationship between environmental law and policy, including the scope of administrative discretion, the application of the "polluter pays principle" and the introduction of integrated pollution control. It also analyzes the social structure of environmental law, evaluates UK policy in the context both of the European Community and the international area.
Part 2 is devoted to detailed case studies, assessing the environmental policy of the United Kingdom in the important subject areas of land use, water, energy, transport, agriculture, waste management and conservation. These subjects have been chosen because they demonstrate the problems of a system that lacks a fully integrated environmantal policy.