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How 'Rights of Nature' Is Recasting the Relationship Between Law and the Earth [1]

In 2006, a local government council in Pennsylvania concerned about sewage sludge dumping enacted the Western legal system’s first formal “rights of nature” instrument. Today, numerous countries have laws recognizing specific rights or even legal personhood for nature. As legal expert Alice Bleby explains, this new perspective arises from a wide range of contexts and plays out in many different ways.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Activism [3]
Biodiversity [4]
Chemicals [5]
Climate Change [6]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Justice [8]
Environmental Politics [9]
Environmental Studies [10]
Fish & Fisheries [11]
Forests [12]
Government [13]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Natural Resources [15]
Policy [16]
Pollution [17]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [18]
Water & Oceans [19]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [20]
California [21]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [22]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [23]
International [24]
Africa [25]
Asia [26]
Australia & Oceania [27]
South America [28]
Visibility: 
Public [29]
  • Read more about How 'Rights of Nature' Is Recasting the Relationship Between Law and the Earth [1]

"Drought And Bark Beetles Are Killing The Oldest Trees On Earth" [30]

"Forest pathologist Martin MacKenzie strode forward on a narrow path through California’s mythic bristlecone pine forest in the White Mountains near the Nevada border, methodically scanning gnarled limbs for the invaders that threaten the lives of some of the world’s oldest trees."

Climate Change [6]
Forests [12]
Water & Oceans [19]
Public [29]
California [21]
Source: LA Times [31], 06/27/2022
  • Read more about "Drought And Bark Beetles Are Killing The Oldest Trees On Earth" [30]

"Forest Service Finds Mining Would Pose Risk To Minnesota Watershed" [32]

"A federal study released Thursday determined that hardrock mining in a Minnesota wilderness area would risk contaminating the region."

Environmental Studies [10]
Forests [12]
Natural Resources [15]
Water & Oceans [19]
Public [29]
National (U.S.) [20]
Source: The Hill [33], 06/27/2022
  • Read more about "Forest Service Finds Mining Would Pose Risk To Minnesota Watershed" [32]

At Colorado River Delta, A Pulse Of Water Brings New Life [34]

"Beside a canal that runs through farmland, rushing water roared through an irrigation gate and flowed down a concrete culvert toward a wetland fringed with cottonwoods and willows."

Agriculture [35]
Climate Change [6]
Water & Oceans [19]
Public [29]
National (U.S.) [20]
Mexico [36]
Source: LA Times [37], 06/24/2022
  • Read more about At Colorado River Delta, A Pulse Of Water Brings New Life [34]

"Biden’s Inner Circle Debates Future of Offshore Drilling" [38]

"President Biden’s top aides are weighing whether to ban new oil and gas drilling off America’s coasts, a move that would elate climate activists but could leave the administration vulnerable to Republican accusations that it is exacerbating an energy crunch as gas prices soar."

Climate Change [6]
Energy & Fuel [39]
Environmental Politics [9]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Water & Oceans [19]
Public [29]
National (U.S.) [20]
Source: NYTimes [40], 06/24/2022
  • Read more about "Biden’s Inner Circle Debates Future of Offshore Drilling" [38]

"Biden Teams With East Coast Governors To Boost Offshore Wind" [41]

"The White House on Thursday launched a formal partnership with 11 East Coast governors to boost the growing offshore wind industry, a key element of President Joe Biden’s plan for climate change."

Climate Change [6]
Energy & Fuel [39]
Environmental Politics [9]
Water & Oceans [19]
Public [29]
National (U.S.) [20]
Source: AP [42], 06/24/2022
  • Read more about "Biden Teams With East Coast Governors To Boost Offshore Wind" [41]

"Chesapeake Bay Group Cites Pollution Data Concerns" [43]

"The current pace of reducing agricultural pollution in the Chesapeake Bay is off track, an advocacy group said Wednesday."

Agriculture [35]
Biodiversity [4]
Environmental Studies [10]
Fish & Fisheries [11]
Pollution [17]
Water & Oceans [19]
Public [29]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [23]
Source: Bloomberg Environment [44], 06/23/2022
  • Read more about "Chesapeake Bay Group Cites Pollution Data Concerns" [43]

Enviros, Property Owners Sue To Block $2.5-Billion Dam In Santa Clara Co. [45]

"As California endures water restrictions due to widespread drought, a proposed $2.5-billion reservoir expansion project in Santa Clara County promises to increase the amount of freshwater for more than a million people."

Activism [3]
Environmental Politics [9]
Environmental Studies [10]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Water & Oceans [19]
Public [29]
California [21]
Source: LA Times [46], 06/23/2022
  • Read more about Enviros, Property Owners Sue To Block $2.5-Billion Dam In Santa Clara Co. [45]

"Beyond Boundaries: Earth’s Water Cycle Is Being Bent To Breaking Point" [47]

"The hydrological cycle is a fundamental natural process for keeping Earth’s operating system intact. Humanity and civilization are intimately dependent on the water cycle, but we have manipulated it vastly and destructively, to suit our needs."

Water & Oceans [19]
Public [29]
International [24]
Source: Mongabay [48], 06/22/2022
  • Read more about "Beyond Boundaries: Earth’s Water Cycle Is Being Bent To Breaking Point" [47]

Ocean and Climate Change Toolbox [49]

Oceans and climate change intersect with many other issues, a crossover likely to be emphasized in the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference and in future ocean-based climate discussions. This list of resources reflects some of that intersection in order to help environmental journalists better cover the field of “blue climate” solutions.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Special Reports [50]
Topics on the Beat: 
Biodiversity [4]
Climate Change [6]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Politics [9]
Environmental Studies [10]
Fish & Fisheries [11]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Natural Resources [15]
Policy [16]
Pollution [17]
Science [51]
Water & Oceans [19]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [20]
International [24]
Visibility: 
Public [29]
  • Read more about Ocean and Climate Change Toolbox [49]

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Source URL:https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water?page=303

Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/features/how-rights-nature-recasting-relationship-between-law-and-earth [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/features [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/activism [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/biodiversity-1 [5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics [6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change [7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health [8] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-justice [9] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [10] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmentalists [11] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/fisheries [12] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/forests [13] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government [14] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws [15] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/land [16] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/policy [17] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution [18] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/religion-faith-and-spirituality [19] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [20] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [21] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/california [22] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes [23] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic [24] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international [25] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/africa [26] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/asia [27] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/australia-oceania [28] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/south-america [29] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [30] https://www.sej.org/headlines/drought-and-bark-beetles-are-killing-oldest-trees-earth [31] https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2022-06-27/drought-and-bark-beetles-now-threaten-earths-oldest-trees [32] https://www.sej.org/headlines/forest-service-finds-mining-would-pose-risk-minnesota-watershed [33] https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/3535013-forest-service-finds-mining-would-pose-risk-to-minnesota-watershed/ [34] https://www.sej.org/headlines/colorado-river-delta-pulse-water-brings-new-life [35] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/agriculture [36] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/mexico [37] https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-06-23/water-is-flowing-again-in-mexicos-dry-colorado-river-delta [38] https://www.sej.org/headlines/biden-s-inner-circle-debates-future-offshore-drilling [39] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy [40] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/23/climate/biden-offshore-drilling-climate.html [41] https://www.sej.org/headlines/biden-teams-east-coast-governors-boost-offshore-wind [42] https://apnews.com/article/climate-biden-and-environment-government-politics-13e5d01c3f43c899e39f337d478c1179 [43] https://www.sej.org/headlines/chesapeake-bay-group-cites-pollution-data-concerns [44] https://bnanews.bna.com/environment-and-energy/chesapeake-bay-foundation-raises-concerns-over-pollution-data [45] https://www.sej.org/headlines/enviros-property-owners-sue-block-25-billion-dam-santa-clara-co [46] https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-06-22/environmentalists-property-owners-sue-to-block-2-5-billion-dam-project-in-santa-clara-county [47] https://www.sej.org/headlines/beyond-boundaries-earth-s-water-cycle-being-bent-breaking-point [48] https://news.mongabay.com/2022/06/beyond-boundaries-earths-water-cycle-is-being-bent-to-breaking-point/ [49] https://www.sej.org/publications/special-reports/climate-solutions/ocean-and-climate-change-toolbox [50] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/special-reports [51] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/science [52] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water?page=302 [53] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water?page=299 [54] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water?page=300 [55] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water?page=301 [56] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water?page=304 [57] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water?page=305 [58] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water?page=306 [59] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water?page=307 [60] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water?page=898