當人類仰賴科技帶動經濟成長，又因習慣於經濟成長帶來的便利及富裕的生活，進而繼續追求更高的經濟收益時，其代價是～業者為了節省成本而引起的公害事件，一件接著一件發生。

日月光排放致癌污水案，高雄高分院的判決結果，相信各位都已經看到了。想必各位的反應也和明台大老師一樣～一萬個沒想到！沒想到高雄高分院竟然來個大逆轉，逆轉的不是廢棄地院判決而改以重判，逆轉的竟然是～改判無罪！

不過，刑事犯罪行為應受罪刑法定主義的拘束。本案究應適用水污染防制法？還是廢棄物清理法？現在就只能靜待最高法院表示意見了。希望不單單是司法人員，所有的地球人都應該謹記在心是：環境污染往往具有不可逆性，一旦破壞了，不可能回復原貌。所以，是不是應該以更高的行為標準，嚴肅地看待公害事件？

在地球的另一邊，另一個公害事件正像核子彈一樣爆發開來，越演越烈！美國媒體每天緊追不捨的報導 Volkswagen (VW) 廢氣排放數據造假的醜聞，從消費者所提起的團體訴訟 (Class-Action) 、美國政府以 VW 違反 Clean Air Act 而處以 1,800 萬美元的罰鍰，一直到 VW 決定召回 1,100 萬輛有瑕疵的柴油車等等，單單是行政罰、民事賠償、商品製造人責任的總賠償金額，可能超過 73 億美金（我應該沒有多算或少算一個零吧？ 7.3 billion USD ）！這還不夠， VW 高層負責人不但在德國可能被處以刑責，就連美國司法部也已展開刑事犯罪的調查 ….. 。

這樣的法律規制架構，讓無良企業及負責人，就算逃得了刑事處罰，在付出鉅額的行政罰鍰及民事賠償之後，應該可以得到教訓（最好是從此退出市場），同時也給世人一個警惕：企業經營者永遠應謹記其應盡的社會責任，而保護環境及消費者健康，是其中最基本、但也是最重要的。

以下來自華爾街日報的報導，是明台大老師綜合這幾天的精彩內容集結而成，供大家參考。在了解時事的同時，又可以保持英文閱讀習慣，一舉兩得喔！

Lawyers are moving to consolidate widespread litigation stemming from Volkswagen AG’s emissions-cheating scandal, setting up a legal fight expected to spur rafts of depositions and demands for billions of dollars in damages.

Plaintiffs’ lawyers filed more than two dozen lawsuits in courts across the U.S. within days of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Sept. 18 disclosure that Volkswagen admitted to cheating on emissions test for nearly a half million diesel-powered cars sold in the U.S. since 2008.

Now, lawyers across the U.S. are jockeying to move class-action lawsuits, expected to number in the hundreds, before one federal judge for a long-running case.

Such consolidated lawsuit are called multidistrict litigation, or MDL, since they are culled from legal actions across different jurisdictions.

The barrage from U.S. plaintiffs’ lawyers adds to mounting pressure on Volkswagen, which faces criminal and regulatory probes across the globe. German prosecutors on Monday launched a criminal investigation of former Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn and other unnamed executives.

There are lots of uncertainties ahead for Volkswagen AG as the fallout from its emission-cheating scandal continues. But one thing is guaranteed – the massive challenges facing its finance chief.

The scandal has put Chief Financial Office Hans Dieter Pötsch in the hot seat, as he confronts the daunting task of determining how much money VW will need to fix the millions of cars involved and to finance fines and settle legal claims against the company.

Finding someone qualified to manage the balance sheets of a global manufacturer and its financing unit could be a tall order. “What they need right now is someone who is very sound and has outstanding and has outstanding experience in financial crisis management,” said Walter Friederichs, head of the automotive practice for executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates. “The biggest challenge in the future is adjusting the business model so that it’s sound and reliable for the long term.”

A Justice Department investigation into whether VW AG should face criminal charges for cheating on emissions test highlights what some lawmakers say is a long-standing gap in U.S. environmental law.

U.S. lawmakers and activists hope the VW prove will lead to changes to the law, including criminal penalties for emissions violations.

The Justice Department previously has considered charging auto makers that skirted pollution laws, according to people familiar with the matter. But the department, facing problems with jurisdiction and evidence, ultimately decided against criminal charges in those cases.

s they debate their best course, Justice Department lawyers may still decide against criminal charges for VW. “We take these allegations, and their potential implications for public health and air pollution in the United States, very seriously,” said spokesman Wyn Hornbuckle.