Action Against The Pollution Of The Seas By Oil

Seminar paper from the year 2006 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Environmental Policy, grade: 2,4, University of Potsdam (Lehrstuhl f r intl. Organisationen), course: International regimes: Theory, empirics and policy, 39 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: For a long time oceans were seen as vast and restless. In recent years, however, this view has changed since the pollution of the sea became an ever serious problem. Fairly cleaned liquids as well as various waste-pieces have massive implications on the maritime life. In addition, intentionally discharged as well as accidentally released oil-products propose a huge challenge to the global community. Therefore the essay elaborates on this ecological issue with focus on oil-tankers as well as it lists up international actions taken against it. These are regime-induced (MARPOL 73/78) modifications at the ships itself such as load on top, segregated and protectively located ballast tanks, crude-oil-washing and double-hulls. The hypothesis of the paper is that the international measures taken have been adequate in general and changed the discharging habits of the industry lastingly. The agreements also seem to have made it possible to have the oceans nowadays less polluted than it assumably would have been without them. Therefore, apart from minor potential future corrections, the international regime for protecting the oceans against the pollution from oil-tankers was rather successful.

Seminar paper from the year 2006 in the subject Politics - Environmental Policy, grade: 2,4, University of Potsdam (Lehrstuhl für intl. Organisationen), course: International regimes: Theory, empirics and policy, language: English, abstract: For a long time oceans were seen as vast and restless. In recent years, however, this view has changed since the pollution of the sea became an ever serious problem. Fairly cleaned liquids as well as various waste-pieces have massive implications on the maritime life. In addition, intentionally discharged as well as accidentally released oil-products propose a huge challenge to the global community. Therefore the essay elaborates on this ecological issue with focus on oil-tankers as well as it lists up international actions taken against it. These are regime-induced (MARPOL 73/78) modifications at the ships itself such as load on top, segregated and protectively located ballast tanks, crude-oil-washing and double-hulls. The hypothesis of the paper is that the international measures taken have been adequate in general and changed the discharging habits of the industry lastingly. The agreements also seem to have made it possible to have the oceans nowadays less polluted than it assumably would have been without them. Therefore, apart from minor potential future corrections, the international regime for protecting the oceans against the pollution from oil-tankers was rather successful.

In the last decade, changes in the scale of operations required to find and transport oil have led to a pollution problem of major proportions: oil on the sea. These changes occurred slowly, and the change in magnitude of the possi bilities for . pollution went unrecognized until a series of dramatic accidents recently gave the problem wide-spread public notice. The Torrey Canyon and Santa Barbara episodes are discussed in this volume. The changes in the scale of oil operations stem from an ever increasing demand for energy. In response to this demand, oil drilling from offshore rigs on the continental shelf has been rapidly developed. To inexpensively trans port oil to the consumers of energy, huge supertankers, of ever increasing size, are being constructed. These ships effect economic savings at the expense of being relatively underpowered, and less maneuverable. Having very deep draft, they are constrained to operate on the high seas and the few deep harbors of the world. Every year there is more oil pumped from the sea floor. Every year more oil is trans ported over the sea. Approximately one tenth of one per cent of this oil each year is spilled on the sea. The purpose of the present volume is to provide a summary of our current understanding of the problem of oil on the sea. Before describing in detail the topics presented, it seems well to point out .

A detailed case study of how international environmental treaties can be made more effective. Combining theoretical analysis with a rigorous empirical evaluation of changes in the compliance process over time, the book identifies policies that have increased compliance by governments and the oil transportation industry with discharge restrictions, equipment requirements, enforcement, and reporting. How do environmental treaties influence international behavior? Deliberate discharges from oil tankers have traditionally been the biggest source of oil pollution from ships, greater than much-publicized accidental spills. Although an international treaty governs how tankers must dispose of oil, compliance has been a problem. Intentional Oil Pollution at Sea is a detailed case study of how international environmental treaties can be made more effective. Combining theoretical analysis with a rigorous empirical evaluation of changes in the compliance process over time, it identifies policies that have increased compliance by governments and the oil transportation industry with discharge restrictions, equipment requirements, enforcement, and reporting. Ronald Mitchell introduces the debate over environmental treaty compliance, compliance theory, and a history of intentional oil pollution. He then uses a wealth of data to study efforts to change government and industry behavior in reporting on treaty performance, enforcing rules, and complying with equipment and discharge standards. He closes with theoretical conclusions drawn from the empirical analysis regarding the sources of effective treaty compliance as well as prescriptions for policymakers about how to negotiate more effective future environmental agreements. Global Environmental Accords series