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Environmental Law Research Guide: Home

Nature knows no boundaries. Nevertheless, human made laws constantly attempt to regulate "nature". Much has been written about the "tragedy of the commons". Laws have been enacted to address these tragedies.

Nevertheless, we find ourselves in the midst of several simultaneous crises: climate change and pollution of the air, water and land, that make up our biosphere, the thin sliver of earth where live exists. This pollution takes many forms, but of special concern are substances that are not biodegradable or which take a very long time to biodegrade. While nature is the ultimate recycler, these man-made substances can overwhelm natural systems. 

The primary aim of this LibGuide is to help researchers locate the major laws and regulations that make up the current environmental legal framework in the U.S. and internationally. A secondary aim is to highlight goals and initiatives to implement those goals at global and local levels.