Oldal 17 [17]
OCR
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. 15
