1,921 research outputs found
Between priceless and worthless: challenges in using market mechanisms for conserving biodiversity
Full text linkThis article appears in Transnational Environmental Law published by Cambridge University Press. Copyright 2012 Cambridge University Press There is growing interest in the use of market mechanisms, such as offsetting and payments for ecosystem services, to further the conservation of biodiversity. The specific needs of biodiversity mean that this approach faces significant challenges in terms of defining the units that can be the subject of the economic or market devices, of ensuring that such mechanisms do deliver conservation gains and of establishing appropriate governance arrangements. There are also ethical concerns that a market approach entails a commodification of nature which sacrifices some of the very elements which make nature valuable to us. The market-based schemes currently being operated and devised should be studied carefully to see how successfully these challenges can be met.</p
Signature forgery and the forger – an assessment of influence on handwritten signature production
No full textSignatures are widely used as a form of personal authentication. Despite ubiquity in deployment, individual signatures are relatively easy to forge, especially when only the static ‘pictorial’ outcome of the signature is considered at verification time. In this study we explore opinions on signature usage for verification purposes, and how individuals rate a particular third-party signature in terms of ease of forgeability and their own ability to forge. We examine responses with respect to an individual’s experience of the forgeability/complexity of their own signature. Our study shows that past experience does not generally have an effect on perceived signature complexity nor the perceived effectiveness of an individual to themselves forge a signature. In assessing forgeability, most subjects cite overall signature complexity and distinguishing features in reaching this decision. Furthermore, our research indicates that individuals typically vary their signature according to the scenario but generally little effort into the production of the signature
Towards a biodiversity law:the changing nature of wildlife law in Scotland
Full text linkAttitudes towards nature have changed greatly in the last 60 years. Wildlife laws that contribute effectively to conserving biodiversity will look very different from the laws that were developed when wildlife was viewed simply as a resource to be exploited or when a few species or places were first granted legal protection. The purpose of this paper is to examine the attributes that laws supporting biodiversity should possess and to explore how the law has evolved to develop these by examining how the laws in one country, Scotland, have changed since the conservation of nature first came to be accepted as a desirable objective deserving legislative support. The early conservation measures simply prohibited specific forms of direct harm to a few selected species. Then the protective measures were extended in their range and a new dimension added by the recognition of the need to look after habitat as well as to prevent direct harm. In turn the habitat measures too have been extended, becoming stronger and responding to the appreciation that maintaining habitat in good health demands active conservation measures rather than just passive prevention of harmful activities. Now there is further emphasis on the eco-system approach to conservation and on biodiversity in all its forms and in all areas, requiring a further shift in approach. Several points emerge as essential if the law relating to wildlife is to fulfil its potential. The law must be pervasive in its efforts to conserve biodiversity rather than dealing with designated sites or species in isolation from the wider environment. It must be positive, actively supporting biodiversity rather than just seeking to prevent particular harm. It must give conservation adequate priority in the face of competing interests. It must be participative, engaging a wide range of parties rather than being a closed matter for dedicated agencies and landowners. Finally, in view of the dynamic nature of our environment, and our understanding of it, it must be precautionary and proactive if the future health of the natural environment is to be secured. Only laws which display these attributes can be expected to meet the challenge of combating the many threats to biodiversity. This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in the Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy on 13th December 2012, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13880292.2012.724326#.U8_Oc-NdV8F Article DOI 10.1080/13880292.2012.724326</p
The privatisation of biodiversity? ::new approaches to conservation law /
No full textIn the face of the failure of the traditional 'command and control' model of environmental regulation to curb the devastating losses of biodiversity around the world, policymakers are increasingly seeking new approaches to deal with this complex interdisciplinary issue. The Privatisation of Biodiversity? provides a timely contribution to this debate by exploring the legal aspects and the scope to strengthen conservation through these reforms. Colin Reid and Walters Nsoh draw on literature well beyond legal sources, particularly from ecology, environmental economics and philosophy to reach a number of pragmatic conclusions on the issues discussed. The new approaches explored include payment for ecosystem services, biodiversity offsetting and conservation covenants, as well as taxation and impact fees. Such mechanisms introduce elements of a market approach as well as private sector initiative and resources. This book considers both the practical and ethical aspects of the regulatory choices available to identify the potential and limitations of an increasingly market-based regime. Bringing clarity and coherence to a complex issue, this book will act as a useful tool for environmental and public law scholars as well as other academics in a range of fields interested in biodiversity conservation. It will also provide valuable insight for policymakers, legal practitioners involved in planning, environmental and agricultural matters, public bodies with responsibility for conservation, landowners, managers and developers, individuals and NGOs dedicated to biodiversity, and students of nature conservation interested in exploring new mechanisms for achieving their objectives
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The privatisation of biodiversity? ::new approaches to conservation law /
No full textIn the face of the failure of the traditional 'command and control' model of environmental regulation to curb the devastating losses of biodiversity around the world, policymakers are increasingly seeking new approaches to deal with this complex interdisciplinary issue. The Privatisation of Biodiversity? provides a timely contribution to this debate by exploring the legal aspects and the scope to strengthen conservation through these reforms. Colin Reid and Walters Nsoh draw on literature well beyond legal sources, particularly from ecology, environmental economics and philosophy to reach a number of pragmatic conclusions on the issues discussed. The new approaches explored include payment for ecosystem services, biodiversity offsetting and conservation covenants, as well as taxation and impact fees. Such mechanisms introduce elements of a market approach as well as private sector initiative and resources. This book considers both the practical and ethical aspects of the regulatory choices available to identify the potential and limitations of an increasingly market-based regime. Bringing clarity and coherence to a complex issue, this book will act as a useful tool for environmental and public law scholars as well as other academics in a range of fields interested in biodiversity conservation. It will also provide valuable insight for policymakers, legal practitioners involved in planning, environmental and agricultural matters, public bodies with responsibility for conservation, landowners, managers and developers, individuals and NGOs dedicated to biodiversity, and students of nature conservation interested in exploring new mechanisms for achieving their objectives
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