Ecuador

Sort by

- - +40
  - 0
- 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.
  Read comments (1)
- - +51
  - 0
- 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.
  Read comments (6)
- - +2
  - 0
- 'Bank of the South' Will Promote Latin American Integration
  Posted by j1o2n3a4s5 from Financial Times
  two month old government of leftist Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa and the popular movements that back him have emerged triumphant in their first battle with the oligarchy and the traditional political parties that have historically dominated... "new socialism of the twenty-first century" and declared that Ecuador end "the perverse system that has destroyed our democracy, our economy and our society."
  Post a comment
- - +1
  - 0
- Ecuador, Quito social movements storm congress
  Posted by Kaerast
  Ecuadorean riot police try to contain rioting supporters of President Rafael Correa that stormed Congress to demand that the legislators accept Correa's proposal for a vote on constitutional reform in Quito January 30, 2007. Lawmakers were forced to evacuate the building after police fired tear gas while battling with the protesters who fought thei
  Post a comment
- - +1
  - 0
- Shades of Chavez in Ecuador's Front-Runner
  Posted by Billbar from Los Angeles Times
  An audacious South American politician has made an unflattering comparison between President Bush and the devil, threatened to nationalize oil production and expressed his commitment to popular revolution. And it's not Hugo Chavez. The rhetoric of Rafael Correa, the favorite in today's presidential election here, could pass for that of Chavez, the Venezuelan leader. Correa, a 43-year-old U.S.-educated economist, has struck a stridently anti-U.S. tone in a campaign in which he has come from nowhere in the polls three months ago to assume a commanding lead. In a Sept. 27 television interview, when asked about Chavez's description of Bush as the devil in his address to the U.N. General Assembly last month, Correa responded: "The devil is evil, but intelligent. I believe Bush is a tremendously dimwitted president who has done great damage to his country and to the world."
  Post a comment
- - 0
  - 0
- The heat on Ecuador
  Posted by Billbar from Salon
  Global warming is vanquishing ancient glaciers throughout South America, killing crops and threatening the water source for millions.
  Post a comment
- - 0
  - 0
- Ecuador protesters end blockades
  Posted by Billbar from BBC News
  Protests by Ecuador's indigenous people against a proposed free trade deal with the US have abated, easing the pressure on the country's president.
  Post a comment

« Previous12 Next »

What is

NewsCloud?

» The most important stories from around the Web all in one place

» Gathered and ranked by a community of passionate readers surfing the Web 24 hours a day

» Ready to share: email stories, post news to your blog and keep up with your friends

Learn more

Just Said
Top Posters

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