| | Earth Law Monthly Update
May 2022 | | Dear Friends: This month, we highlight Earth law advancements across the world, including in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Serbia, the United States, and the United Nations. We also discuss a potential Rights of Nature application within an international treaty, the Escazú Agreement. Be sure to stay tuned for exciting developments within the Convention on Biological Diversity next month. Finally, read below about our summer Earth Law program, which is now open for registration. Thank you, as always! -Earth Law Center Team | | | | | | | | Can Rights of Nature be Incorporated into the Escazú Agreement? Last month, Javier Ruiz and Bastián Núñez of ELC participated in the first conference of the parties ("COP") to the Escazú Agreement, held in Chile. This regional treaty in Latin America and the Caribbean guarantees the public’s right to access environmental information, participate in environmental decision-making, and seek justice in environmental matters. The three-day COP explored topics such as rules of procedure, public participation in the treaty, implementation, compliance, and regional cooperation. ELC's representatives raised a motion to strengthen access to justice in environmental matters, including by recognizing the right to a healthy environment as an "autonomous right," which was successfully added to the working document on environmental rights defenders. ELC also advanced positions on youth leadership, intergenerational equity, and the Rights of Nature. The Instituto de Resiliencia y Conservación Global, Defensa Ambiental, and ELC are now joined by 15+ other organizations who support incorporating the Rights of Nature into the Escazu Agreement. Please sign on here, with additional information here (English) and here (Spanish). | | | | | | | | Students, Educators, Lawyers: Sign Up Now for a Free Summer Course on Earth Law ELC is offering a unique summer program from June 20-July 27, 2022 based on the book Earth Law: Emerging Ecocentric Law - A Guide for Practitioners. The program takes place on Monday and Wednesday mornings, 10:30-12:30 pm EST, via Zoom. It is designed for students and faculty who are interested in environmental law and want to reshape the legal system to better protect Nature. Our award-winning program will be taught by our in-house legal staff and leading experts from around the world. This year’s version of the course experiments with a new approach where participants will work on teams to incubate, develop, and implement real-world legal projects that ultimately can employ lawyers. To register, sign up here. This class is free to students and educators; law firms have a sliding scale fee. Contact Tony Zelle at tonyzelle@earthlaw.org to learn more. | |  | | | | | Rights for Southern Resident Orcas We are pleased to announce the launch of our Orca Rights Toolkit! With our partner, Legal Rights for the Salish Sea, we provide all you need to support the campaign. Here are a few action items you can take now: 1. Sign and share this petition to show your support for a state bill. 2. Share your support on social media and mobilize your friends. We have sample posts and graphics in our toolkit. 3. Engage your local city council or other legislative body on Orca rights. (Talking points, a sample letter, and a draft resolution are included in the toolkit.) 4. Donate to our cause through ELC. Let us know if you are specifically supporting this campaign, as these funds can be earmarked for this work. We are also excited to share our article on this campaign that is now featured in EcoMagazine! Stay tuned for more updates during June, which is Orca Month! | |  | | | | | Rights of Native Corn Advances in the State of Mexico ELC's Claudia Brindis advanced language on the intrinsic value and inherent rights of native corn (and also its seeds) that is now included in a draft bill on the "Promotion and Protection of Native Corn in the State of Mexico." The bill is being put forth by a commission on environmental protection and climate change within the Congress of the State of Mexico. The bill recognizes the rights of native corn to exist, flourish, regenerate, and evolve, as well as to be restored, recovered, and preserved. The bill was presented by Congressman Max Correa, who expects its approval in the current session of Congress. Read more here. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Rights of the Jaguar and the Gran Choco Forest ELC's Latin American legal team has formalized a collaboration with Greenpeace for the future presentation of an amicus brief in defense of the Yaguareté (Argentinian Jaguar) and its habitat, the “Gran Chaco” forest, within Argentina. We seek to establish that the jaguar and its ecosystem are "subjects of rights." Similar arguments have been successful in countries such as Ecuador. The case will be heard by the Supreme Court of Justice in Argentina. | | | | | | | | Massive Mine in Serbia 'Terminated', but Advocates Remain Concerned In September 2021, Earth Thrive, in cooperation with the legal team of ELC and local organization Zaštitimo Jadar i Rađevinu, submitted a Bern Convention complaint to protect 807 hectares of habitat and 68 protected species from a massive proposed lithium mine in Serbia's Valley of Jadar. The complaint also wove in alleged Rights of Nature violations by drawing from certain ecocentric provisions of the Bern Convention, which protects wildlife and habitat in Europe. Six months later, in March 2022, the Bern Convention Secretariat released Serbia’s response to the complaint, with Serbia reporting that the mine had since been “terminated,” mooting the complaint. While Earth Thrive, ELC, and others are pleased with this outcome, we are also concerned that the project will be revived in the future. We will keep up the pressure to protect this hugely biodiverse area. | |  | | | | | Defensa Ambiental and Earth Law Center Discuss Rights of Nature at the University of Chile Chilean NGO Defensa Ambiental and ELC organized a discussion at the University of Chile entitled “Rights of Nature and Environmental Justice in the New Constitution.” Both organizations discussed their experiences on the Rights of Nature within Chile's Constitutional Convention. Presenters also reflected on the advancement of the Rights of Nature within Chile based on certain international standards and comparative legal systems. The event featured Camila Palma, member of the executive board of Defensa Ambiental, and Javier Ruiz representing ELC. Bastián Núñez, also of ELC, moderated the event. | |  | | | | | ELC Wins Green Difference Award Each year Project Green Schools recognizes Outstanding Energy, Environmental & STEAM Education efforts through their Green Difference Awards. We are honored to have received recognition in the “Land, Air, and Natural World” category for our "Making Earth Lawyers" programs!
We thank all of our staff, board members, alumni, and current students for their work and support. If you want to learn more, please visit our education page. | |  | | | | | ELC's mission is to transform the law to honor and protect Nature's inherent right to exist, thrive, and evolve. | | | | | | | | | | Contact Us Earth Law Center
PO Box 3164
Boulder, Colorado 80307
510-566-1063
info@earthlaw.org | | | | | | | |
