APRIL - JUNE 2004

May 5 Questions Preparing Readings for Class

LISTEN TO THE BAN STREAMING AUDIO AND THEN ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.  IS THE BASEL CONVENTION MORE ABOUT MINIMIZING THE GENERATION OF HAZARDOUS WASTE, OR IS IT MORE ABOUT REGULATING ITS TRANSBOUNDARY SHIPMENT?  IS BASEL REALLY MEANT TO FORCE RECYCLING OR CLEANER TECHNOLOGY AS BAN CLAIMS?

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE BASEL BAN ON DEVELOPED COUNTRIES SHIPPING THEIR HAZARDOUS WASTE TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, AND DOES IT HOLD WATER IN LIGHT OF THE EXTENSIVE TRADE IN RECYCLED MATERIALS (STEEL SCRAP, ETC.)?

WHY DO YOU THINK THE US HELPED NEGOTIATE BUT THEN EVENTUALLY LOST INTEREST IN THE BASEL CONVENTION?  BASEL CONVENTION MEMBERS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO ACCEPT HAZARDOUS WASTE FROM NON-MEMBERS, BUT THAT RULE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN OVERCOME IN THE NAFTA CONTEXT (S.D. MYERS CHAPTER 11 ARBITRATION).  DOES IT MATTER IF THE HAZARDOUS WASTE JUST GOES BETWEEN TWO DEVELOPED STATES (E.G., THE US AND CANADA)?

WHY DOES THERE SEEM TO BE SUCH HAZARDOUS WASTE SMUGGLING GOING ON, AS YOU SEE IN THE JAKARTA POST ARTICLE?

HOW DO YOU INTERPRETE THE 1999 STATISTICS IN TERMS OF THE DISCONTINUITIES BETWEEN IMPORT AND EXPORT STATISTICS FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE?