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- Putting the rights of nature in Ecuador's constitution
  Posted by Jeff from Los Angeles Times
  It sounds like a stunt by the San Francisco City Council. But Ecuador is engaged in nothing less than an effort to redefine the relationship between human beings and the natural world. And as crazy as it may seem, the movement to give nature legal rights didn't start in Ecuador's Amazon forest or its Galapagos Islands -- it started years ago in the United States, in cities and towns seeking to fight off coal mines, incinerators and factory farms. Aided by the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund in Pennsylvania, about a dozen municipalities have abandoned the old-fashioned way of halting development -- through the appeals process -- and are placing outright bans on environmentally disruptive activities.
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- Ecuador Constitutional Assembly Votes to Approve Rights of Nature In New Constitution
  Posted by Jeff from Idealog.US
  On July 7, 2008, the Ecuador Constitutional Assembly - composed of one hundred and thirty (130) delegates elected countrywide to rewrite the country's Constitution - voted to approve articles for the new constitution recognizing rights for nature and ecosystems. "If adopted in the final constitution by the people, Ecuador would become the first country in the world to codify a new system of environmental protection based on rights," stated Thomas Linzey, Executive Director of the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund.
  6 comments
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- Supreme Court Inc.: Heading toward fascism?
  Posted by Jeff from New York Times
  Today, however, there are no economic populists on the court, even on the liberal wing. And ever since John Roberts was appointed chief justice in 2005, the court has seemed only more receptive to business concerns. Forty percent of the cases the court heard last term involved business interests, up from around 30 percent in recent years.
  
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- Conservative Pennsylvanians Pass ‘Radical' Laws Defying U.S. Constitution
  Posted by Jeff from New York Sun
  More than 100 largely Republican municipalities have passed laws to abolish the constitutional rights of corporations, inventing what some critics are calling a "radical" new kind of environmental activism. Led by the nonprofit Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, they are attempting to jumpstart a national movement, with Celdf chapters in at least 23 states actively promoting an agenda of "disobedient lawmaking." Learn more
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- One Baseball Card into $100,000 for the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund
  Posted by Jeff from Idealog.US
  After discussing about whether Internet phenomena such as One Red Paperclip and the Million Dollar Homepage are repeatable - I decided to give it a try - but with a twist. I'm going to try to trade one baseball card (a near mint 1972 Strikeout Leaders card of Nolan Ryan and Steve Carlton - estimated value $25.00) into a $100,000 for my favorite charity, The Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund.
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- Pennsylvania Borough Strips Sludge Corporations of “Rights”
  Posted by Jeff from Idealog.US
  On September 19th, the Tamaqua Borough Council in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, unanimously passed a law declaring that mining and dredge corporations possess no constitutional “rights” within the Borough. Tamaqua thus becomes the fifth local government in the country to abolish the illegitimate “rights” and privileges claimed by corporations. Those constitutional “rights” and legal privileges have been routinely asserted by corporations in other localities to nullify local laws.
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Jeff comments on:
Putting the rights of nature in Ecuador's constitution

Big breakthrough editorial for CELDF!

Reply »
11:21 am 9/02/08
j1o2n3a4s5 comments on:
Ecuador Constitutional Assembly Votes to Approve Rights of Nature In New Constitution

our abuse of the animal world since the domestication revolution in 8000 bc diserves some rerperations.
the slavery and death camp comparisions…

Reply »
2:56 am 7/14/08
seimaden4 comments on:
Ecuador Constitutional Assembly Votes to Approve Rights of Nature In New Constitution

that’s cool, humans taking responsibilities for their actions. our actions affect ecosystems which in turn affects us. I don’t think the U.S. will ever do that. The U.S. thinks they own the world and everyone in it from animals to "foreigners". The U.S. says "The world’s my oyster. you are my *****es." BWAHAHAHAHA!

Reply »
8:25 am 7/09/08
mozellagi2000 comments on:
Ecuador Constitutional Assembly Votes to Approve Rights of Nature In New Constitution

Preposterous. Granting rights without expecting responsibilities is nothing short of insanity. Gorilla’s, trees and lakes have no obligation to us, therefore we have no obligation to grant rights to them. As for Ron Sims attempting to steal land from King Country residents, finally a small glimmer of sanity has finally taken root in the Washington State court system.

Reply »
6:15 am 7/09/08
Jeff comments on:
Ecuador Constitutional Assembly Votes to Approve Rights of Nature In New Constitution

Leif, I mentioned that exact story today to Mari Margil today in Portland.

Reply »
12:41 am 7/09/08
leif comments on:
Ecuador Constitutional Assembly Votes to Approve Rights of Nature In New Constitution

This is so great. It sets an immensely important precedent.

Here’s an interesting local angle in today’s Seattle Times: The same day Ecuador enshrined nature’s inherent right to exist in its constitution, an appeals court in Washington State struck down part of King County’s 2004 "critical-areas ordinance," calling it "an indirect but illegal ‘tax, fee, or charge’ on development." The ordinance limits landowners to clearing no more than half of the vegetation—read: forest—on parcels larger than 1.25 acres or 35% of lots larger than 5 acres. Property-rights activists gleefully revved their chainsaws, while enviros and county officials wrung their hands.

Quite a contrast, no? Can we get Tom Linzey back here to talk to the WA legislature?

Reply »
10:11 pm 7/08/08
Jeff comments on:
Ecuador Constitutional Assembly Votes to Approve Rights of Nature In New Constitution

Rights of Nature Language Approved by Ecuador’s Constitutional Assembly

Reply »
3:45 pm 7/08/08