Let’s have a round of applause for Ecuador. It stands proud as the first country to include the “Rights of Nature” in its constitution for the last 7 years. The constitution states, “Nature has the right to exist, persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycles, structure, function and its processes in evolution”.
However, to a certain extent this defies looking at nature simply as a natural resource. In a lecture we came across the oxymoron of “Natural Resource” – where nature is a simply entity which provides goods to humanity. But this changes the game. A paradigm shift. This legislation turns away from objectifying nature, but instead personifies it, giving it rights under the law. This constitution exemplifies green sovereignty, giving nature a political voice.
However, to a certain extent this defies looking at nature simply as a natural resource. In a lecture we came across the oxymoron of “Natural Resource” – where nature is a simply entity which provides goods to humanity. But this changes the game. A paradigm shift. This legislation turns away from objectifying nature, but instead personifies it, giving it rights under the law. This constitution exemplifies green sovereignty, giving nature a political voice.