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CHAPTER 1.
FOUNDATION
‘Tf we wish to be good, we must be first wise.”
Humanity has found its way to a ‘modern era, in which technological
development radically changed how we live our everyday lives. Since the
‘Great’ Industrial Revolution, a relatively short period compared to the
history of humanity, there have been a number of adverse ecological
changes. It could be said that since we reached the development curve
from steam engines to microchips, the natural environment has been
changed to an extent that now threatens the adequate living conditions
and survival of humanity. Although humans are only one element of the
ecosystem, we are the ones who have the power to cause the most significant
changes to the environment. Recognition of global environmental problems
has led to the emergence of a new area of law, International Environmental
Law, which has become one of the most dynamic and regulatory-rich
systems of our time in just one century. Before providing a history and a
precise definition of International Environmental Law, let us examine
precisely what global environmental problems have led to the emergence
of this relatively new area of regulation.
The Great Industrial Revolution was a process of economic
transformation that started in the 18th century in the United Kingdom
and later spread throughout several parts of the world. As a result of the
Great Industrial Revolution, economies based on agriculture and
craftsmanship were replaced with large-scale industrial installations, and
2 Shrader-Frechette, Kristine: Ethics and Environment. World Health Forum, Vol. 12.
1991. pp. 320.
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