5 - Rights of Nature

Summary

Chapter 5 shifts the focus to natural resources, the third and final category of the voiceless, and examines the legal initiatives that have sought to protect the rights of nature. Natural resources have been the subject of robust protection in constitutional provisions and legislative enactments in the United States and many other countries. The rights of nature movement has exploded within the past decade and has started to gain traction as a possible tool to combat climate change impacts. One prominent example is the recent effort in Australia that seeks to confer legal personhood to the Great Barrier Reef to help address the impacts of ocean acidification that are decimating this national and international treasure.