A. Transboundary Trade and Pollution Control

There needs to be rules in place between countries whose industries can affect one another; so that if there are problems, the countries can work together to solve them or prevent them from happening again. For example, the United States drills for oil off their southern coast in the Gulf of Mexico. If some of this oil spills, it can drift into Mexico’s waters, killing fish or other marine animals, and even affecting tourism and people’s health if the oil comes on-shore.

*Another example of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA) is the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, which says that countries involved in trading or transporting hazardous waste or chemicals must follow rules to protect people’s health and the environment.

*The 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species helps protect plants and animals that might be in danger of dying out.

For examples of other Environmental Treaties, see page 411, Table 14.3