Lesson 2: A Look at Federal Legislation

The Earlier Legislation

Imagine the following scenarios:

• The people in charge of a chemical company knowingly dump hazardous waste products into a nearby river and don't tell anyone.

• The people in charge of a waste-disposal plant discover that there has been an accidental leak of toxic fumes. Knowing that it's too late to warn local residents, they decide not to say a word, though they take steps to see that such a situation won't recur.

• A provincial government allows a company to mine minerals in an area where such activity is likely to be destructive to a unique and delicate ecosystem. The government's decision is based in part on the fact that many people in the area need jobs desperately, and the mine would raise the people's living standards and help ensure that fewer children went hungry.

What's your reaction to these three situations?

Most people would condemn the behaviour in the first situation with no reservations.

The second is less clear-cut-after all, it was an accident; and why alarm people when it's too late to do any good? Still, it's probable that most people would feel that the company's decision was self-serving and that the public has a right to know that accidents like this are taking place.

The last situation tends to divide people more evenly: some favour preserving natural habitat, while for others, jobs and a decent standard of living for human beings are more important. This third scenario illustrates the fine line that governments have to walk in making decisions that affect the environment.