The Rights of Nature: A Legal Revolution That Could Save the World Paperback – September 5, 2017

Winner of the Green Prize for Sustainable LiteratureA growing body of law around the world supports the idea that humans are not the only species with rights; and if nature has rights, then humans have responsibilities.“Expertly written case studies in which legalese is accessibly distilled … empowering reminders that the seemingly inevitable slide toward planetary destruction can be halted.” — Publishers Weekly, starred reviewPalila v Hawaii. New Zealand’s Te Urewera Act. Sierra Club v Disney. These legal phrases hardly sound like the makings of a revolution, but beyond the headlines portending environmental catastrophes, a movement of immense import has been building — in courtrooms, legislatures, and communities across the globe. Cultures and laws are transforming to provide a powerful new approach to protecting the planet and the species with whom we share it.Lawyers from California to New York are fighting to gain legal rights for chimpanzees and killer whales, and lawmakers are e