About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline

LOG IN
LOG IN


25 Colum. J. Envtl. L. 283 (2000)
The Underlying Legal Theory to Support a Well-Defined Human Right to a Healthy Environment as a Principle of Customary International Law

handle is hein.journals/cjel25 and id is 289 raw text is: The Underlying Legal Theory to Support a Well-Defined Human Right to a Healthy Environment as a Principle of Customary International Law John Lee* I. Introduction ................................................................................ 284 II. The Need For a Well-Defined Right to a Healthy Environm ent ............................................................................... 287 A. Is a Human Right to a Healthy Environment Needed? ....... 287 1. Environmental Laws of Individual Nations .................. 289 2. Environmental Components of Internationally- Recognized Human Rights ........................................... 290 3. An Independent, Internationally-Recognized Human Right to a Healthy Environment ................................... 292 B. Individual Versus Group Expression of a Right to a Healthy Environm ent .......................................................... 293 C. Justiciability, Causation and Liability .................................. 298 III. Sources of International Law in Support of a Right to a Healthy Environm ent .................................................................. 301 IV. Expressions of a Human Right to a Healthy Environment ......... 305 A. The Per Se State of the Right to a Healthy Environment....305 B. The Contextual Development of the Right to a Healthy Environm ent ........................................................................ 319 1. The Right to Sustainable Development ......................... 321 2. The Rights of Future Generations ................................. 325 3. Additional Linkages ...................................................... 328 a. Rights of Indigenous Peoples .................................. 328 b. Right to Inform ation ................................................ 329 c. Rights of W om en ..................................................... 329 C . Sum m ary ............................................................................. 331 V. A Legal Theory in Support of a Human Right to a Healthy Environm ent ................................................................................. 331 A. The Right Must Benefit Recognized Individuals ................ 332 * Research Fellow, Center for International Human Rights, Northwestern University School of Law; J.D. 1998, DePaul University College of Law; B.S. 1985, M.S. 1988, University of Wisconsin at Madison.