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An essay is presented on developments of international environmental law in the U.S. It highlights the Stockholm Declaration that stressed the need to protect the heritage of wildlife and its habitat and safeguard natural resources of the earth. It discusses the environmental provisions that reflects a developing international consciousness and a sense of responsibility which forms and declares the rules of customary international law.

The article focuses on morality, human rights and foundations of the law. But not all rights are "human rights" within the meaning of the doctrine of human rights. Human rights are essentially confined to those rights that transcend, and are protected against, the exercise of political power. Human rights within that meaning are thus essentially the flipside of the limitation of the legislative and executive powers vested in the repositories of state authority. The essence of the legal idea is justice, which in one of its many manifestations requires persons in authority to apply political power to protect the basic human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons under their domain.