Thesis submitted to

Abstract

Environmental law is situated theoretically between two disparate approaches towards the environment: the utilitarian paradigrn, which sees that the environment has value in its ability to support and provide enjoyment for humans. and the environrnental paradigm, which sees that the environment has intrinsic value. Some argue that environmental law is anthropocentric and thus does not provide a very baianced reconciliation between these two paradigms. Environmental law in Alberta possesses one stellar example of environrnental paradigm discrimination: the denial of legal standing to environmental groups who speak on behalf of the environment's intrinsic right to be clean, healthy and unexploited. My study examines Alberta environmental law discourse utilizing T. A. van Dijk's Cntical Discourse Analysis. My research attempts to determine if there are discourse strategies present in the discourse that produce and perpetuate discrimination against environmental protectors. My study also attempts to rernedy legal discourse induced environrnental paradigrn discrimination.