Book review

摘要

The sound governance of potentially hazardous chemicals is crucial to both economic progress and the protection of environmental and public health, yet the topic has received comparatively little scholarly attention in recent years. Moreover, this neglect extends beyond the academy-although chemical contamination was once the poster child of the dark side of technological progress, environmental NGOs have redirected their attention almost en-masse to global warming, whilst policy analysts increasingly concern themselves with the emerging risks posed by nanotech and GM technologies. Chemicals regulation just isn't sexy anymore. However, no hostage to fashion, Henrik Selin has stepped into the breach and provided us with a cogent, empirically rich analysis of the complexities involved in managing chemicals at the global level. In this review, I'll outline the content of Selin's book, touch upon its strengths and weaknesses, before ending by reflecting on where this sort of research might go in the future.Selin prefaces his analysis by observing that the global chemicals regime is somewhat unique in environmental law, in that rather than beginning with a framework convention that is later fleshed out through detailed protocols (as with, e.g., the ozone layer and climate change), countries have instead enacted a set of four free-standing multilateral agreements that deal with overlapping issues (the Basel, Rotterdam, CLRTAP, and Stockholm Conventions). Although these agreements are ostensibly independent, in reality they share a range of legal, political and practical connections. Of particular interest to Selin are two sorts of such "institutional linkages."