Read the complete post at Wild law: Recognising the rights of nature…
Environmental lawyer, Tom Brenan introduces the concept of Wild Law in Permaculture – Inspiration for Sustainable Living blog on October 5, 2011. Brenan argues that we need to persuade governments to endorse the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth and that permaculture is a natural ally of the movement for Thomas Berry’s ‘Earth Jurisprudence’.
Tom opens with: “As an environmental lawyer I am very aware of the shortcomings of our current environmental laws in preventing the degradation of the Earth. One of the reasons for this is our disconnection with the Earth and failure to live within Her limits. This means that we see ourselves as separate from Nature and view the natural world in terms of ‘resources’ to be exploited for our own purposes rather than our life support system and source of wellbeing. The legal protection offered comes from this human-centred starting point.”
He expands on Rebalancing our relationship with the Earth through what Thomas Berry “called ‘Earth Jurisprudence’, to re-envision our governance systems by placing Earth back at the centre.”
Speaking of Peramaculture and Earth Jurisprudence, Tom sees “much overlap with the Deep Ecology approach and it is this recognition of ourselves as part of the natural world rather than outside it that we need to embrace. To me, permaculture thinking, working with natural processes, forming guilds etc, resonates strongly with Earth Jurisprudence principles and practice.”
As a member of Wild Law UK and the Global Alliance for Rights of Nature, he offers What you can do to help protect nature…