Will remediation ever be enough? The environmental pollution tragedy

Brown, Cleverline T

Abstract

Environmental pollution affects every aspect of human existence. Prior to the development of the legal framework for environmental regulation, environmental infractions persisted unabated until reprieve came in the form of compensation and injunctions and other remedies. However, rather than take precaution, polluters often see the remedies as the excuse to keep polluting as long as it is affordable. Remediation, in fact, is not a remedy because some effects of pollution cannot be reversed. This article argues that no form of remediation will be enough to reverse the effects of pollution. It promotes the view that rather than rely on remediation for the harm done to the environment, such actions that can result in environmental harm should be prevented or not taken at all because the economic gains will in no way remedy the losses that would have been suffered especially if that loss includes the loss of human lives.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 13, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Mar 15, 2019
• Publication Date: Mar 31, 2019
• Deposit Date: Nov 3, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 6, 2020
• Journal: International Journal of Law
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 5
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 28-30
• Series ISSN: 2455-2194
• Keywords: environment; pollution; air; water; land; remediation
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/6827207
• Publisher URL: http://www.lawjournals.org/archives/2019/vol5/issue2