Should Nature Have Rights?
Imagine if we gave an animal or a tree or an entire forest the same rights as a person. At first thought it may sound unrealistic or even crazy, but there is a growing movement to do just that! The Rights of Nature Movement began to take shape in the early 2000’s and continues to gain steam.
What is the Rights of Nature Movement?
Under most current law systems, nature is considered to be property, meaning that whoever owns it has the right to destroy it as they see fit. The Rights of Nature movement seeks to recognize that ecosystems and natural communities are not merely property that can be owned, but instead are entities that have an independent right to exist and flourish. Changing the status of nature from property to a rights-bearing entity will give natural spaces rights that can be enforced and protected.
By most standards, the environment has declined over the past few decades. Species extinction, global warming, and deforestation are accelerating. Without massive change, the global landscape will continue to deteriorate. Instead of preventing environmental destruction, current laws, including the United States’ Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, actually legalize environmental harms by regulating the degree of destruction that’s permitted. Once these destructive actions are legalized by federal or state governments, local governments are prohibited from banning them.
The Rights of Nature Movement wants to change the narrative so that the role of government transforms from legalizing destruction to protecting the rights of the environment.
Is there any precedent to giving nature rights?
Surprisingly, yes! As far back as the 1820’s there was a case of a white oak tree in Athens Georgia that was so beloved by the locals, it was officially labeled an autonomous entity known as The Tree that Owns Itself. The oak was formally protected with a deed that ensured it protection for all time.
More recently, in 2006 in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania local laws were developed to recognize the rights of nature. Since then, more than two dozen communities in the U.S. have adopted similar laws. And it’s not just in the United States. In 2008, Ecuador became the first country in the world to recognize rights for nature in its constitution.
But isn’t it strange to give rights to non-humans?
It isn’t strange at all. In fact, our society does it all the time. Think about corporations. They’re really nothing more than a document and yet corporations hold legal claim to many of the same rights as living, breathing humans.
Another disturbing reality is that many actual humans have been denied legal rights. Throughout history, generations of enslaved people, indentured servants, women, child laborers, and other humans have not even been permitted the basic human right to exist. This unconscionable abuse was and continues to be a major obstacle in our path towards a more just world.
Giving nature rights is one more step towards a more equitable and sustainable planet for all living beings.
How can you support the Rights of Nature movement?
The Rights of Nature movement is gaining momentum, but it needs continued public support to thrive. Here are some of the ways that the movement suggests that we can all help.
Become better informed. A variety of books, articles, videos, podcasts, and other reference materials may be found on the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature website at www.TheRightsOfNature.org including just released The Rights of Nature, The Case for a Universal Declaration on the Rights of Mother Earth and Wild Law: A Manifesto for Earth Justice.
Talk with friends and spread the word about Rights of Nature. Share this site with others and visit our Rights of Nature Facebook group.
Join a global signature and letter writing campaign by signing our Value Rights of Nature petition http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/yes-to-rights-of-nature/or writing a letter to your President or other head of state requesting support for Rights of Nature. Gather friends for a letter huddle and write your letters together. For more information, visit www.RightsofMotherEarth.com.
Draft, endorse, and support local initiatives which recognize rights for nature in your municipality. For advice and counsel, contact the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund www.CELDF.org.
If you are an Awakening the Dreamer Symposium facilitator, include Rights of Nature in your symposium discussions. Include our letter writing campaign as a way to be in action.
Support our work financially. Every dollar, euro, or other currency makes a difference in expanding the recognition of Rights of Nature around the world.