- In 2010 Pittsburgh became the first U.S. city to recognize rights of nature in its effort to ban fracking.
- In September 2008, Ecuador became the first country in the world to recognize rights of nature in its constitution.
- Bolivia is in the process of implementing a set of laws that also recognize certain rights for nature.
- In July 2018, the Board of Trustees for Crestone, CO unanimously approved a resolution recognizing the Rights of Nature. It joined dozens of other communities recognizing that nature has inherent rights.
- In 2019, Toledo, Ohio passed the Lake Erie Bill of Rights, declaring “irrevocable rights for the Lake Erie Ecosystem to exist, flourish and naturally evolve.” Before being preempted by state government, the local legislation gave the ecosystem legal standing, meaning the lake, with the help of human advocates, could enter the court system as a plaintiff and sue polluters.
The nonprofit Rights of Nature organization lists the following as some efforts meant to better protect the environment:
Yvette C. Hammett
Yvette C. Hammett is a journalist who spent much of her career in newsrooms, including The Tampa Tribune, The Mobile Register, and The Stuart News, covering issues from courtroom to environmental battles, a busy cop beat, and international news.
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