Coronavirus and Environmental Law: Necessary discussion to overcome a human and ecological crisis

Abstract

The pandemic of the new coronavirus, in addition to consequences for public health and the world economy, has repercussions within the scope of current Environmental Law, rather represents an ecological crisis that is only human. As causes for zoonoses like Covid-19, according to the United Nations, are large-scale deforestation, the exploitation of wild animals, the precariousness of public sanitation policies and climate change. These are factors linked to the protection and regulation of environmental law, which, as they converge to the current pandemic, potentiate a necessary break in this branch of law. A context aggravated by the contours of the global risk society and the side effects of the metamorphosis of the world, demanding that the instruments of Environmental Law be put into effect, especially in pandemic times. This work seeks to investigate the causes of the pandemic of the new coronavirus and its reflexes to the challenge of an environmental right connected with nature and in harmony with human health, seeking to point out, in this way, which strategies can be adopted in order to guarantee more effective protection for the environment. As a research method the deductive is applied, using national and foreign bibliography related to the theme, in addition to the available scientific data. It is concluded, for now, that the challenges of containing the new coronavirus are interrelated with the effectiveness crisis of the current environmental law which triggers the need to disseminate the instruments already used and that can contribute to an emancipatory catastrophism.