Bolivia is embarking to pass the world’s first legislation that gives rights to the environment or Mother Nature. The new law grants 11 rights to the environment. One for example, looks at natural resources as blessings, as opposed to commodities. Certainly new controversies will arise out of this mandate. But in a nation where people claim to already be feeling the effects of climate change (they have experienced increased droughts, floods and their glaciers are receding), activists and environmental stewards are getting behind this. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Not to go too far down this road, but the movie “The Corporation,” was a provocative expose of how multi-national corporations are actually viewed as people–often sociopathic ones–with regard to certain rights and responsibilities. How, I wonder, might Mother Nature be judged? Surely she is not entirely innocent and can actually be viewed as somewhat of a wrecking ball through natural disasters. It is sticky logistics like this that make me curious as to how exactly this will play out. Social-ecological systems are intricately linked and to pretend otherwise would be a dangerous downplay of the complexity we find ourselves dealing with on a daily basis. But the basic ideas that the environment deserves attention, protection and other rights we generally believe (not always acted upon) humans should have, is a noble approach. I personally hold that framing and a different approach to teaching people about ecosystems, their services, and operations is a huge part of this paradigm-shifting challenge. But it remains to be seen as to how this will be accomplished, in Bolivia or elsewhere.
From The Guardian’s coverage: (watch the video if you visit the site!)
“The law, which is part of a complete restructuring of the Bolivian legal system following a change of constitution in 2009, has been heavily influenced by a resurgent indigenous Andean spiritual world view which places the environment and the earth deity known as the Pachamama at the centre of all life. Humans are considered equal to all other entities.
But the abstract new laws are not expected to stop industry in its tracks. While it is not clear yet what actual protection the new rights will give in court to bugs, insects and ecosystems, the government is expected to establish a ministry of mother earth and to appoint an ombudsman. It is also committed to giving communities new legal powers to monitor and control polluting industries.”
Image via Orion magazine.
