Why Education is Critical to the Earth Law Movement

Reader Contribution by Darlene May Lee and Earth Law Center
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I’m a newcomer to the Earth law and rights of nature movement, which aims to secure rights for nature. My steep learning curve has given me a new appreciation for the role of education in building a movement.

The rest of the world is catching on, as well. We’ve come a long way since the mid-1850s, when the Maori tribe challenged the Crown’s impact on the sacred and “living” Whanganui River.[1] The concept of “rights of nature” has transformed from faraway battles to a concept approaching mass awareness and broad support. In 2015, Pope Francis, the head of 1.2 billion Catholics, released an encyclical on the environment and human ecology.[2] In 2017, rights of nature had its biggest year yet, with rivers earning personhood rights in India, Colombia and New Zealand – where the Maori finally won their battle to protect the Whanganui.

Despite these recent victories, the rights of nature movement has yet to reach the general public. For example, when I first joined Earth Law Center (ELC) – a nonprofit that advocates for rights of nature – none of my friends or family had heard of nature’s rights, despite being reasonably well-educated and well-traveled. “Legal standing for ecosystems in a court of law” did not get discussed over dinner.

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