Learning from Environmental Justice: A New Model for International Environmental Rights

Abstract

This article proposes a model for engaging complex international environmental rights problems more systematically. Part II explores the characterization problem that stymies international law solutions to environmental harm to humans. Part III uses United States environmental justice litigation strategies as the basis for a model that assesses the human rights implications of environmental harm. Part IV examines the application of the model to sixteen case studies and suggests lessons for future advocacy efforts. The Article concludes in Part V with a call for greater coordination of environmental rights advocacy. The individual cases are catalogued in detail in the Appendix.

Keywords: environment, human rights, international, corporate responsibility