Question

Which of the following correctly describe ways in which lawbreakers can be prosecuted for harming the environment? (Select all that apply)

a. Criminal law allows someone to seek compensation for damages when they have been impacted by environmental pollution.
b. Public law involves campaigns that draw attention to businesses that are harming the environment, causing their profits to decline.
c. Civil law can regulate relations between individuals and corporations where there is an accusation of environmental and personal impact.

Answer 1

Lawbreakers can be prosecuted through criminal law by the government, which imposes punishments, and through civil law, which allows for seeking compensation for environmental harm. Environmental laws make firms accountable for the social costs of pollution but public campaigns are not a form of legal prosecution.

Step-by-step explanation:

Lawbreakers can be prosecuted for harming the environment through both criminal law and civil law. However, criminal law does not typically provide compensation for damages—that is a function of civil law. In criminal law, the government prosecutes lawbreakers and imposes punishments such as fines or imprisonment for actions that harm the environment. In contrast, civil law allows individuals or groups to seek compensation for harm caused by environmental damage.

In the United States, environmental laws passed in the late 1960s and early 1970s are examples of command-and-control regulation. They specify allowable levels of pollution and require companies to install anti-pollution technology, effectively holding firms responsible for the social costs of their pollutants.

Public law campaigns, though influential in raising awareness and potentially affecting profits, do not directly prosecute environmental harm—they are more about social and market pressure rather than legal enforcement.