Darlene Lee

Earth Law Center works to transform the law to recognize and protect nature’s inherent rights to exist, thrive and evolve.

We do this by building a force of advocates for nature's rights at local and international levels. Our initiatives aim to secure legal rights for rivers, oceans, coastal and land ecosystems.

Key initiatives include:

securing legal rights for Marine Protected Areas, such as the Patagonian Sea, to protect thousands of species of animals and help preserve its ecosystem;

protecting the Magdalena River, Mexico City’s last remaining free-flowing river, to enable its restoration and ease pressure on the surrounding environmental resources;

fighting for legal protection of the Great Lakes, to ensure they can sustain both human needs and the ecosystem as a whole.

Vision

We envision a future in which humans and nature flourish together.

Earth Law will give ecosystems the same rights as people and corporations. This will enable the defense of nature in the courts—not only for the benefit of people, but for the sake of nature itself. Earth Law argues that humans and nature are not at odds, but are deeply connected and dependent on one another. Formal recognition of nature’s inherent right to thrive will enable the restoration of balance in the global environment.

Our planet’s health depends on a paradigm shift in law. In most countries, nature has the legal status of property. Under this system, the environment has no voice in decision-making and cannot bring issues to court.

[Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.]