TEACHING POLICY INSTRUMENT CHOICE IN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW: THE FIVE P'S

摘要

Difficult choices lie at the heart of environmental law and policy. Should we reduce emissions of greenhouse gases? Should we protect a local population of endangered plants? Should we limit the catch in a fishery that seems in danger of collapsing? And if we take these actions, how much should we reduce the activity? Answering these questions is fascinating but no easy matter. It requires consideration of scientific, economic, legal, and political issues, not to mention the trade-offs that inevitably arise. And even if we can agree that emissions of a particular pollutant are too high, that grazing levels of the local commons must be reduced, or that a local endangered species requires greater protection, a fundamental choice still remains: We need to decide how best to achieve these goals.