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37 Envtl. L. 365 (2007)
The Protection of Environmentally-Displaced Persons in International Law

handle is hein.journals/envlnw37 and id is 407 raw text is: THE PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENTALLY-DISPLACED PERSONS IN INTERNATIONAL LAW BY AURELIE LOPEZ* Be worried Be very worried Climate change isn't some vague future problem-it's already damaging the planet at an alarming pace warned Time Magazine on its cover of a special report on global warning One may further add that, as a consequence, environmental degradation is causing a large number of people to flee environments that no longer sustain life. The issue of environmental degradation is broad and complex. This Article endeavors to better understand one particular aspect, namely the phenomenon of environmentally-induced migration. The critical issue of environmentally-induced migration has only recently been highlighted by scientists, wlde subsequently provoking much debate among legal academics. However, the extent to which international law and practice provide the environmentally displaced with physical protection from serious human rights violations unfortunately proves to be very scant. Nevertheless, the particular issue offprotecting those environmentally-&splaced does not pose any major legal or political difficulties. For many years the international definition of a refugee has divided scholars. It is now time to refocus the discussion in different terms in order to set forth constructive solutions. In this regard the proposition to adopt a convention dealing specifically with environmentally-induced migration is vey praiseworthy J.D. 1989, Yale Law School; Visiting Professor, University of Michigan Law School (Fall 2006); Angela S. Cooney Professor, Syracuse University College of Law; Adjunct Professor, State University of New York; College of Environmental Science and Forestry Affiliate; Maxwell School of Citizenship Center for Environmental Policy and Administration. The author would like to thank Bill Banks, David Bernstein, Amy Sinden, William Wiecek, and the faculties of UCLA Law School, Syracuse University College of Law, and Florida State University College of Law for useful comments, Dean Hannah Arterian for research support, Molly Curtis for research assistance, and the wonderful staff of the Barclay Law Library at Syracuse University College of Law for their responsiveness to his never-ending stream of requests. 1 Time Inc., Cover, TheE, Apr. 3, 2006. [365]