DOCSLIB.ORG

LINDA SHEEHAN Executive Director, Earth Law Center P.O

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
LINDA SHEEHAN Executive Director, Earth Law Center P.O LINDA SHEEHAN Executive Director, Earth Law Center P.O. Box 610044, Redwood City, CA 94061 [email protected] ▪ 510-219-7730 (cell) EDUCATION Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, J.D. 1991 First Prize, Ellis J. Harmon Environmental Law Writing Competition, “The EEC's Proposed Directive on Civil Liability for Damage Caused by Waste: Taking Over When Prevention Fails,” 18 Ecol. Law Q. 405 (1991) Associate Editor, Ecology Law Quarterly; Prosser Prize, Land Use Law Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, M.P.P. 1990 Genevieve McEnerney Fellowship; Berkeley Policy Fellow Massachusetts Institute of Technology, B.S., Chemical Engineering, 1985 Minor in Economics First Place, 1985 American Institute of Chemical Engineering, Student Chapter, New England Technical Speaking Competition: “Treatment of Heavy Metals in Battery Manufacturing Wastewater” PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Earth Law Center, Redwood City, CA Executive Director, 2011-present Takes action to advance the rights and abilities of Earth’s ecosystems and inhabitants to flourish, thrive and evolve, consistent with ELC’s mission. Responsibilities include all aspects of day-to-day operations and budget oversight, staff management, fundraising, and program initiatives. Develops and implements strategies including education, outreach, research and advocacy to advance Earth Law Center positions. Drafts and presents oral and written reports, testimony, comments and presentations. Oversees the development and implementation of communication strategies to government officials, agencies, organizations, and the general public to advance legal rights for ecosystems. Builds collaborations and partnerships in support of legal rights for ecosystems and Earth-based governance. Vermont Law School, South Royalton, VT Visiting Professor, July 2012, July 2013, July 2014, July 2015 Developed curriculum for and presented two-credit “Earth Law” course as part of Vermont Law School’s Summer Session; course was certified to meet Vermont Law School’s Ethics/Philosophy requirement. California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA Adjunct Professor, Spring 2014, Spring 2015 Developed curriculum for and presented one-credit “Earth Law” course. The course critically examined the limitations of current environmental laws, and then presented and analyzed alternative governance structures (including legal and economic) that better reflect humans’ actual integration with the natural world. California Coastkeeper Alliance, Fremont, CA Executive Director, 2004-2011 Directed statewide operations and programs of the Alliance, representing Waterkeepers spanning the California coast and into the Delta. Grew organization from five Southern California groups to 12 statewide Waterkeeper organizations. Quadrupled foundation funding base while reducing member dues 75% and expanding programs. Conducted advocacy before multiple state agencies and the Legislature in support of protecting and improving the health of California’s marine and coastal watershed ecosystems. Issues addressed included: developing a statewide network of marine protected areas; improving water pollution controls and funding; reducing oil spills; increasing water monitoring and data reporting; enhancing sustainable water supplies; augmenting waterway flows; establishing legal rights for waterways; and improving governance models overall. Successfully drafted and sponsored policy and budget bills in support of healthy waterways and ocean ecosystems. Oversaw and assisted with variety of litigation actions; managed CCKA’s Revolving Litigation Fund. Built and managed diverse coalitions to advance ocean and waterway protection goals. Ocean Conservancy, San Francisco, CA Director, Pacific Region, 2000-2004 Managed all West Coast programs, including marine ecosystem protection, fisheries management, coastal and marine water quality, ocean monitoring, invasive species control, and oil spill prevention. Supervised program staff, conducted fundraising and membership efforts, provided testimony and representation on behalf of TOC before government/media, and promoted the conservation of coastal and marine life and habitats. Pollution Programs Director, 1994-2000 Moved Program from single focus on marine debris to full range of water pollution control issues. Drafted and successfully sponsored numerous state bills to improve water quality and ocean health; conducted litigation with pro bono counsel; provided expert testimony before Congress, the state Legislature, and agencies. Heller, Ehrman, White and McAuliffe, San Francisco, CA Environmental Attorney, 1991-1994 . Provided regulatory compliance counseling on state and federal environmental law matters. Conducted litigation under a range of environmental statutes, including NEPA, CEQA, CERCLA and RCRA. Drafted and filed motions, conducted settlement negotiations, and propounded and responded to discovery. Performed due diligence reviews of real estate transactions. Temple, Barker and Sloane, Inc. (now Mercer Management Consulting), Lexington, MA Environmental Policy Consultant, 1985-1987 . Designed, managed and performed environmental policy analyses for public agency and private clients. APPOINTMENTS/AFFILIATIONS/AWARDS Admitted to State Bar of California, 1991, Bar No. 154707 Named “California Coastal Hero” by Sunset Magazine and the California Coastal Commission, 2009 Association of California Water Agencies, “Excellence in Water Leadership” Award, 2009 International Union for Conservation of Nature, World Commission on Environmental Law, Jan. 2012 - Present Research Affiliate, University of Victoria, B.C., POLIS Project on Ecological Governance, Fall 2010 - Present Mesa Refuge Writing Residency, Spring 2012 and Fall 2010 California Water Quality Monitoring Council, Public Member, 2008 – 2011 State Water Board Recycled Water Task Force, NGO Representative, 2008-2009 State Water Board Storm Water Advisory Task Force, NGO Representative, 2008 – 2009 Alameda County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo), Commissioner, 2000 – 2008 U.S. Coast Guard Incident Specific Preparedness Review Team, Public Representative, Cosco Busan Oil Spill, 2007 – 08 California Oil Spill Prevention and Response Technical Advisory Committee (California Senate appt.), 2003 – 2008 California Marine Life Protection Act, Statewide Interests Group, Environmental Group Representative, 2004 – 2011 California AB 982 Public Advisory Group on Impaired Waters, Co-Chair, 2002 – 2005 National Invasive Species Advisory Committee, Member, (Department of Interior appointment), 1999 – 2004 U.S. Global Ocean Observing System Steering Committee, Vice-Chair, 2001 – 2004 CALIFORNIA BILLS DRAFTED AND/OR CO-SPONSORED (SELECTED) Signed into Law: AB 2911 (Wolk 08) – Inland oil spill program ABX1 10 (Oropeza 03) – Waste discharger fees increased AB 739 (Laird 07) – Stormwater control and use SB 923 (Sher 03) – Agricultural runoff control SB 729 (Simitian 06) – Water Board enforcement reform SB 512 (Figueroa 03) – Marine ecosystem protection SB 1070 (Kehoe 06) – Coordinated water monitoring AB 703 (Lempert 99) – Invasive species in ballast water AB 1333 (Frommer 06) – Grease waste management AB 411 (Wayne 97) – Beach testing and posting Various budget trailer bills and environmental budget items Passed by Legislature but Vetoed by Governor: SB 1001 (Perata 07) – Water Board governance reform AB 771 (Saldaña 05) – Ex parte reform at Coastal Comm’n Passed Initial Policy Committees: SB 42 (Corbett 09) – Phase-out of once-through cooling SB 1176 (Perata 08) – Regional Water Board reform PUBLICATIONS (SELECTED) “Implementing Rights of Nature through Sustainability Bills of Rights,” forthcoming, Victoria Univ. of Wellington, Faculty of Law, New Zealand, Earth Law Alliance & GAPLA Conf. on New Thinking on Sustainability “Water as the Way: Achieving Well-Being through ‘Right Relationship’ with Water,” in Wild Law in Practice, Michelle Maloney and Peter Burdon, ed. (Routledge, NY, NY, 2014) “Realizing Nature’s Rule of Law through Rights of Waterways,” in Rule of Law for Nature, Christina Voigt, ed. (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2013) “Perspectives on the Clean Water Act,” in Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, Forty Years after the Clean Water Act (Oct. 18, 2012) “Clean Water Act 2.0: Rights of Waterways,” HuffPost Green (Oct. 15, 2012) “Earth Day Revisited: Building a Body of Earth Law for the Next Forty Years,” in Exploring Wild Law: The Philosophy of Earth Jurisprudence, Peter Burdon, ed. (Wakefield Press, Kent Town, South Australia, 2011) “Rights of the Waterway,” Waterkeeper Magazine, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Summer 2011) “The Practice of Ecosystem Rights,” Groundswell, Vol. 3, Issue 1 (Spring 2010) “New Blue Legacy: California’s Waterkeepers are Pioneering America’s First Marine National Parks,” Waterkeeper Magazine, Vol. 5, No. 4 (Summer 2009) “The EEC's Proposed Directive on Civil Liability for Damage Caused by Waste: Taking Over When Prevention Fails,” 18 Ecol. Law Q. 405 (1991) Media pieces, and formal written comments and testimony to administrative agency and legislative bodies, on a range of issues related to environmental health and governance spanning a 20-year period; available upon request LITIGATION (SELECTED) Riverkeeper et al. v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 475 F.3d 83 (2nd Cir. 2007) and Entergy Corp. v. Riverkeeper et. al, 556 U.S. __, No. 07-588 (April 1, 2009): Co-plaintiff with Waterkeeper Alliance counsel; decisions called for preventing
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Confronting Remote Ownership Problems with Ecological Law
    CONFRONTING REMOTE OWNERSHIP PROBLEMS WITH ECOLOGICAL LAW Geoffrey Garver* ABSTRACT ThomasBerry’s powerfulappeal foramutually enhancing human- Earthrelationshipfaces many challengesdue to theecological crisis that is co-identifiedwith dominant growth-insistenteconomic,political, andlegal systemsacrossthe world. Thedomains of environmental history, ecological restoration, and eco-culturalrestoration, as well as studies by Elinor Ostrom and othersofsustainableuse of commonpool resources,provide insightsonthe necessary conditions foramutually enhancing human-Earth relationship. Atheme commontothesedomains is theneed forintimate knowledgeofand connectiontoplace that requiresalong-standing commitment of people to theecosystems that sustainthem.Remoteprivate ownership—oftenbylarge and politically powerful multinational corporations financed by investorsseeking thehighest possiblereturns and lacking knowledgeorinterestinthe places and people they harm—is deeplyengrained in theglobal economic system.The historical rootsof remote ownership and controlgoback to territorial extensification associated with thesharpriseofcolonialismand long-distancetradeinthe earlymodernera.Yet remote owners’and investors’ detachment from place poses an enormous challenge in thequest foramutually enhancing human-Earthrelationship. ThisEssaypresents an analysis of how contemporary environmental lawundergirds theremoteownershipproblem and of how limits-insistentecological lawcouldprovide solutions. ABSTRACT..................................................................................................425
    [Show full text]
  • Study Guide for the Rights of Nature Proposal Prepared by Rev
    Study Guide for The Rights of Nature Proposal Prepared by Rev. Dr. Bob Shore-Goss [email protected] "We are talking only to ourselves. We are not talking to the rivers, we are not listening to the wind and stars. We have broken the great conversation. By breaking that conversation we have shattered the universe. All the disasters that are happening now are a consequence of that spiritual 'autism.'" ~ Thomas Berry Summary: Pope Francis claims, “A true ‘right of the environment’ does exist.” There has been an international movement for the Rights of Nature in the last several decades. For the proposal before you, this serves as a brief study guide of the background. The proposal attempts to link the UCC with this movement that includes environmentalists, environmental Christian ethicists, indigenous peoples worldwide, international organizations that produced the Earth Charter, the Charter of Compassion, and the Parliament of World Religions. No Christian denomination (no world religion, outside indigenous spiritualities) have adopted a statement of faith and prophetic witness that explicitly claims Rights for Nature. There have lists of such rights by Stillheart Declaration and individual Christian ethicists. That is the last section of this study guide. Individual Christian liberation theologians such as the Brazilian Leonardo Boff, Sallie McFague, Thomas Berry, and others have recognize our human responsibility to notion of distributive justice (a fair share of Earth resources and goods for humanity, the more than human life, and bio-regions, and the Earth herself) to nature, living in a wholesome environment, eating well, enjoying a living space, sharing equitably and co-living with Nature, and ultimately respecting the intimate connection of human and the Earth community of life.
    [Show full text]
  • “Rights for the Earth” Towards New International Standards
    “RIGHTS FOR THE EARTH” TOWARDS NEW INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS From November 30th to December 11th, during the COP21 (UN Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties of 2015) in Paris, the world’s nations will reach new agreements on climate change. The major challenge with these negotiations rounds would be the achievement of sufficiently binding commitment to ensure a sustainable living planet. Addressing the global climate complexity requires a moral and legal responsibility that should go beyond the mere “declaration of intentions”. It is necessary to construct a social pact for coexistence of a global governance regime and an international legal framework whose pillars are safeguarding biodiversity and respecting ecosystems’ dynamics, on which humanity depends for survival and well-being. All over the world, initiatives presenting a systemic solution to climate change and the current state of the planet by adapting public international law and criminal law are growing. Whatever may be the approaches or legal tools (Earth Laws, Rights of Nature, Rights of Future generations, fundamental human right to live in a healthy environment, criminal recognition of environmental crimes, ecocides crimes, Global Commons) they all seem to agree in a new socio-ecosystemic perspective, acknowledging that humans are inalienable parts of Nature and their actions not only have consequences over their environment, but also for their own well-being. This growing convergence of initiatives is an historic expression of public will at supranational level to control the way of how norms are defined in the case of major damage to the environment. The meeting of two international stakeholders: the coalition “The Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature” (GARN) and the citizens’ movement “End Ecocide on Earth” (EEE) for the COP21, coming from different fields of law, having both accomplished amazing results on their continents, will be the symbol of this convergence; Seeking to implement a range of actions whose aim is to show the complementarity and necessity of their approaches.
    [Show full text]
  • Phd Thesis Modern Law and Local Tradition in Forest Heritage
    PhD Thesis Modern Law and Local Tradition in Forest Heritage Conservation in Cameroon: The Case of Korup A thesis approved by the Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Process Engineering at the Brandenburg University of Technology in Cottbus in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of the academic degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Environmental Sciences by Master of Arts Terence Onang Egute from Oshie, Momo Division, Northwest Region, Cameroon Supervisor: Prof. Dr. iur. Eike Albrecht Department of Civil and Public Law with References to the Law of Europe and the Environment, BTU Cottbus, Germany Supervisor: Prof. Dr. hab. Konrad Nowacki Department of Environmental Law and Comparative Administrative Law, University of Wroclaw, Poland Day of the oral examination: 26.11.2012 DOKTORARBEIT Modernes Recht und Lokale Traditionen bei der Erhaltung des Walderbes in Kamerun: Eine Fallstudie über Korup Von der Fakultät für Umweltwissenschaften und Verfahrenstechnik der Brandenburgischen Technischen Universität Cottbus genehmigte Dissertation zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades eines Doktors der Philosophie (Ph.D.) in Umweltwissenschaften vorgelegt von Master of Arts Terence Onang Egute aus Oshie, Momo Division, Northwest Region, Kamerun Gutachter: Prof. Dr. iur. Eike Albrecht Lehrstuhl Zivil- und Öffentliches Recht mit Bezügen zum Umwelt- und Europarecht der BTU Cottbus, Deutschland Gutachter: Prof. Dr. hab. Konrad Nowacki Lehrstuhl Umweltrecht und Vergleichendes Verwaltungsrecht der Universität Wroclaw, Polen Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 26.11.2012 Modern Law and Local Tradition in Forest Heritage Conservation in Cameroon: The Case of Korup Declaration I hereby declare that this dissertation is the result of my original research carried out at the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus, Germany within the framework of the doctorate programme Environmental and Resource Management.
    [Show full text]
  • Wild Law 2011
    Dr Michelle Maloney Australian Earth Laws Alliance www.earthlaws.org.au What are ‘rights of nature’ laws? Where do they exist? How do they differ from existing environmental law? Can they make any difference to environmental protection? Can Rights of Nature legal approaches be of use to BBNJ Laws that aim to change the legal status of nature from being human property, to rights bearing entities of their own 2002- present - USA – more than 30 local laws passed by communities, asserting the rights of local people and natural communities 2008 - Ecuador – 2008 Constitution – rights of nature ◦ More than a dozen cases: including Vilcabamba River, Mangroves, Sharks 2010 - Bolivia – 2010 Act for the Rights of Mother Earth ◦ Universal Declaration for the Rights of Mother Earth (30,000 people) Since 2016 - Europe – pushing for an EU Directive for the Rights of Nature 2016 - Green Party of Scotland; Green Party of England and Wales – adopted Rights of nature policies 2017 - New Zealand – ◦ Whanganui River, Urewera Forest, Mt Taranaki – “legal personhood” 2017 - India – courts recognised two rivers have legal personhood (a second case said all of the ecosystems feeding the rivers – glaciers, mountains etc have legal rights) 2018 - Atrato River in Columbia – 2017 legal personhood Scotland – lawyers looking at legal rights for Ben Nevis mountain 2018 - Mexico City – new laws under development at present: rights of nature 2019 – Bangladesh – court case, river rights 2019 – Uganda National Environmental Protection Act Any future governance system must recognise the rights of the non-human world to exist, thrive, evolve “Rights exist where life and life supporting systems exist” bee rights’, ‘river rights’ Earth community = relationships We are a community of subjects, not a collection of objects ◦ Relationships – rights/duties ◦ ‘Standing’ Concept of Guardian at law ◦ Remedies? Injunction Compensation Restoration ◦ Long term ‘custodianship’? Guardianship? “The Lorax” – Dr Seuss Current western legal Earth Jurisprudence system 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Why Environmental Laws Fail
    William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review Volume 39 (2014-2015) Issue 1 Article 2 December 2014 Why Environmental Laws Fail Jan G. Laitos Lauren Joseph Wolongevicz Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/wmelpr Part of the Environmental Law Commons, Natural Resources Law Commons, and the Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons Repository Citation Jan G. Laitos and Lauren Joseph Wolongevicz, Why Environmental Laws Fail, 39 Wm. & Mary Envtl. L. & Pol'y Rev. 1 (2014), https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/wmelpr/vol39/iss1/2 Copyright c 2014 by the authors. This article is brought to you by the William & Mary Law School Scholarship Repository. https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/wmelpr WHY ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS FAIL JAN G. LAITOS* & LAUREN JOSEPH WOLONGEVICZ** ABSTRACT Although governments have deployed an array of environmental protection laws, our planet continues to experience unprecedented envi- ronmental “crises,” including climate change, resource depletion, species extinction, ecosystem damage, and toxic air-water-land pollution. Despite universal acknowledgment and recognition of these serious environmen- tal issues, and despite a growing list of laws designed to address these issues, the reality is that these adverse Earth-based environmental changes continue, and may even be worsening. Environmental protection laws have often failed because they usually include certain problematic characteristics: they are anthropocentric, in that their goal is to protect and benefit humans, not the environment in which humans live; they assume human superiority and exceptionalism to nature and natural processes; they are based on the notion that humans are separate from nature; they presume that humans are not ultimately limited by planetary boundaries, because they are superior and somehow insulated from nature.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Earth Jurisprudence, Wild Law, Emergent
    Earth Jurisprudence, Wild Law, Emergent Law: The Emerging Field of Ecology & Law – Part 1 Jamie Murray1 Abstract The article does two things. First, it explores the emerging field of ecology and law through the examination of Earth Jurisprudence developed in the work of Berry, Cullinan, and Burdon. Second, it puts this Earth Jurisprudence and the emerging field of ecology and law in connection with the wide ranging philosophical work of Deleuze & Guattari. Earth Jurisprudence and the emerging field of ecology and law are introduced through the exploration of four themes that characterise the field of study: a critique of the dominant western worldview and image of thought; a new philosophy of nature widely informed by contemporary science and cosmology; a new relation to the Earth and nature in affectual intensities, image of thinking, and investment of the social field; and, the realisation of the necessity and centrality of a fundamental reconceptualization of legality and governance. The Earth Jurisprudence of Berry, Cullinan, and Burdon (particularly Cullinan’s Wild Law: A Manifesto for Earth Justice) is then explored substantively in Cullinan’s reconceptualization of legality, the Grand Jurisprudence that informs Earth Jurisprudence, the Earth Jurisprudence of the promotion of mutual ecocentric human-Earth enhancement, the development of Earth rights, the reconceptualization of property and land, and the Wild Law that Earth Jurisprudence produces as the outcome of its creativity. Earth Jurisprudence and the emerging field of ecology and law are a far-reaching development within legal studies, with potentially profound implications for our contemporary conceptualisation of legality and governance and the creation of a concept of law for a new Earth.
    [Show full text]
  • Transformative Environmental Constitutionalism's Response to The
    humanities Article Transformative Environmental Constitutionalism’s Response to the Setting Aside of South Africa’s Moratorium on Rhino Horn Trade Melanie Murcott Department of Public Law, University of Pretoria, Lynnwood Road, Hatfield 0002, South Africa; [email protected] Received: 7 September 2017; Accepted: 5 November 2017; Published: 7 November 2017 Abstract: South Africa’s rhino population is under threat of extinction due to poaching for purposes of illegal international trade of rhino horn. The South African government has thus far been unable to regulate rhino poaching effectively. One of the legal responses was to introduce a moratorium on local trade of rhino horn. However, in 2015 the High Court set aside the moratorium. Subsequent appeals against the High Court’s decision to the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court were dismissed without a hearing. The anthropocentric approach to the protection of biodiversity under South African environmental law is reflected upon in this article. It is argued that the High Court adopted an unapologetic and uncritical anthropocentric approach to the issues before it. A legal theory of transformative environmental constitutionalism is proposed as a means to infuse litigation about global environmental problems with substantive environmental considerations, such as precaution, prevention and equity. These principles could facilitate a more ecocentric orientation towards the application of environmental laws. Keywords: rhino; environmental law; transformative environmental constitutionalism 1. Introduction Species extinction and biodiversity loss are two of the many disturbing impacts of the Anthropocene, a time that acknowledges ‘the devastating and overwhelming impact of people on Earth and its systems’, as ‘the consequences of human actions have become the major factor in influencing ecological outcomes’1.
    [Show full text]
  • SCELG Policy Brief 19/2021
    POLICY BRIEF No. 19, May 2021. Ecocide and Animals: extracting a framework for discussion from the work of Polly Higgins, Damien Short and Nigel South Debbie Legge and Annaig Nicol. The integrated and inter-disciplinary research conducted by the Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law and Governance (SCELG) seeks to address real-world knowledge gaps in partnership with government institutions, NGOs, private institutions and local communities. Our researchers hold considerable expertise in the fields of comparative, EU and international environmental law, with regard to, among others, biodiversity, land, food and agriculture, climate change and energy, water and oceans, as well as corporate accountability, environmental justice, human rights and sustainable development. For more information, visit: https://www.strath.ac.uk/scelg Or contact: Debbie Legge, [email protected] session focused on an article by Polly Higgins, Da- Ecocide and Animals: mien Short and Nigel South entitled ‘Protecting the planet: a proposal for a law of ecocide’.3 In their arti- extracting a framework cle, Higgins, Short and South set out an interesting for discussion from the history of the law of ecocide and its institutional his- tory.4 They also place ecocide in its wider legal con- work of Polly Higgins, text and clearly explain what ecocide is, why a law of ecocide is needed and what the law of ecocide hopes Damien Short and Nigel to achieve. 1 South This dialogue will summarise Higgins, Short and South’s work before discussing the issues it raises for animals. Polly Higgins sadly died in 2019 but she has Dr Debbie Legge left behind a body of work and a stream of advocacy arguing for a crime of ecocide, which is now being Associate Lecturer in Law.
    [Show full text]
  • Free Wild Law: a Manifesto for Earth Justice Pdf
    FREE WILD LAW: A MANIFESTO FOR EARTH JUSTICE PDF Cormac Cullinan,Thomas Berry | 208 pages | 30 Mar 2011 | GREEN BOOKS | 9781900322904 | English | Totnes, United Kingdom Wild Law: A Manifesto for Earth Justice Review - video dailymotion Wild Law: A manifesto for Earth Justice is Wild Law: A Manifesto for Earth Justice book by Cormac Cullinan that proposes recognizing the natural order of communities and ecosystem from a legal prospective. This movement Cormac Cullinan preaches is destined to shape the 21st century as significantly as the human rights movements shaped the previous century. Cullinan argues in his book, Wild Law of the impending fact that our species is rapidly destroying our only habitably place to live planet Earth. Wild Law: A Manifesto for Earth Justice indicates that our current governance systems are extremely dysfunctional and need to be completely reengineered. Furthermore, the many environmental treaties, laws and policies adopted in recent years have, by large, failed to slow down, or let alone halt or reverse, the destruction of the planet. This he maintains, is because the legal systems of the present government systems and the policies and institutions associated with them, are based on a mechanistic and dualistic understanding of the world, and on various myths, all of which we now know to be false. Myths such as the belief that human society is separate from, and ultimately superior to the natural world, are now 'hard-wired' into most legal and political systems. Consequently, the overall Wild Law: A Manifesto for Earth Justice of these governance systems is to facilitate and legitimise the ongoing degradation of our planet.
    [Show full text]
  • Wild Law: Is There Any Evidence of Earth Jurisprudence in Existing Law and Practice?
    Wild Law: Is there any evidence of earth jurisprudence in existing law and practice? an international research project Research Supervisor: Professor Lynda Warren main authors: Begonia Filgueira and Ian Mason With thanks for support to: and The Network for Social Change "The need to forge a new and healthier relationship between the human race and the planet that sustains us could not be more urgent. This unique paper is a significant step towards making that possible through radical change in how we think about law and about nature." - Professor Wangari Maathai, Green Belt Movement, Kenya, and 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Winner “In the same way that we are now re-examining the very foundations of our financial systems, in the wake of the 2008 banking collapse, so we now need to examine the foundations of our legal systems. What makes anyone suppose that these are any more “fit for purpose” than our financial systems? This report provides exactly that kind of stirring challenge.” - Jonathan Porritt CBE, environmentalist, founder Director of Forum for the Future, chairman UK Sustainable Development Commission "This important contribution will inspire debate, new thinking and action. It looks beyond present constraints and approaches, and experience teaches us that what may be seen as over-reaching at one time soon becomes conventional wisdom". - Prof Philippe Sands QC, barrister at Matrix chambers and professor of international law at University College London Published March 2009 Copyright: UK Environmental Law Association and the Gaia Foundation
    [Show full text]
  • Putting the Earth to Rights?
    A Word from the Editors: Putting the Earth to Rights? This issue of the IUCNAEL e-Journal invites readers to consider multiple dimensions of the developing application of rights-based claims, in a variety of guises, as they pertain to the environment. The profile and purview of international human rights law and more recently international environmental law are now well established. It is therefore of course not surprising to note the emergence of first human rights-based claims with an environmental dimension and now cross-cutting human rights and environmental claims during the past few decades. Perhaps the only real matter that should take us aback is how long they have taken to emerge. The debate is however moving on apace and discussion is now shifting the boundaries of the rights debate beyond human rights- holders towards the idea of rights for other species and indeed for nature itself, through ground breaking documents such as the Earth Charter and the Draft Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth. The articles published in this edition represent diverse spectrums of opinion on the nature, ambit and content of these new emerging rights and the intersection between them. James May and Erin Daly, in „New Directions in Earth Rights, Environmental Rights and Human Rights: Six Facets of Constitutionally Embedded Environmental Rights Worldwide‟, examine both the existing and expanding application of human rights-based claims, notably in South Asia and Latin America, with their recognition of the instrumental importance of the environment for human flourishing. Innovative judicial approaches to claims founded on the environment have of course been emerging across the globe, but debate has arguably been in reinvigorated by case law originating in the aforementioned jurisdictions.
    [Show full text]