“We must restore order to nature. Then it will take care of the climate.” Sergey A. Zimov Sergey Afanasyevich Zimov (born 1955) is a Russian geophysicist specializing in Arctic and subarctic ecology. He graduated from the Far Eastern State Technical University in Vladivostok, is the director of the North-Eastern Scientific Station, which he founded in 1977 near the town of Chersky in Yakutsk, and is a senior scientist at the Pacific…
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Freya Mathews: Life with Animals
This article by Freya Mathews was originally published under the title 'Living with Animals' in Animal Issues (vol I, no I, 1997. pp 4-16); translated by Jiří Zemánek. Freya Mathews is also the author of Without Animals Life Is Not Worth Living / Bez zvítár život nemá cenu žit (Ginninderra Press 2016), in which, in a gripping story about a pig named Pookie and a philosopher…
The Rights of Nature, Earth Democracy, and the Future of Environmental Governance
Dr Michelle Maloney is a leading Australian lawyer focused on creating systemic change to move industrial societies towards an earth-centred culture and governance. She studied law at the Australian National University and Griffith University, is the co-founder and national coordinator of the Australian Earth Laws Alliance (AELA) and a senior fellow at the Centre…
Cormac Cullinan and the Nature Rights Movement
Cormac Cullinan is a director of South Africa’s oldest environmental law firm, Cullinan & Associates Inc, and founder of EnAct International, a London-based environmental law and policy consultancy. He has litigated, negotiated and advised clients ranging from local businesses to national governments and international organisations; he has drafted legislation, policies and strategies…
Thomas Berry: The Origin, Distinction, and Role of Rights
“When I use the term ‘rights’, I mean the freedom of people to fulfill their destiny, their responsibility, and their basic nature, and by analogy, that other natural entities also have the right to fulfill their role within the Earth community.” Thomas Berry Cultural historian, philosopher, cosmologist, and Earth advocate Thomas Berry is generally considered the father of the current burgeoning movement for…
Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth
“It is still time for our laws to recognize the right of rivers to flow, to prohibit actions that destabilize the Earth’s climate, and to establish respect for the inherent value of every living being. It is time to stop the rampant commodification of nature, just as it was once forbidden to buy and sell human beings.” Alberto Acosta, Ecuadorian economist and judge of the International Tribunal for the Rights of Nature April 22…
Freya Mathews: On Greatness – A Philosopher's Letter to President Putin
As a nation with a unique opportunity to unleash the Earth’s forces to re-regulate its systems and secure the future of human civilization, Russia could well deserve the gratitude and recognition of all. Freya Mathews A leading Australian philosopher today, Professor Emeritus of Environmental Philosophy at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Freya Mathews reminds us in this letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin that…
Jiří Zemánek: Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy) and the Great Law of Peace
“Just as today is a young day when the sun rises and illuminates the earth, causing warmth throughout the land for all people, so we will help the people of all nations. And just as many things grow on the earth that strengthen people, a new Great Law will come to enlighten the minds of all people, old and young and even children and on that…
"Decide on the name of the upcoming seventh generation..."
Excerpt from The Leadership Imperative interview with Oren Lyons, who led Bary Lopez (ORION, January 2008); translated by Jiří Zemánek. “In an era of self-promotion, Oren Lyons is the antithesis of celebrity. When he speaks about serious issues, there is no indomitable ego, no desire to be seen as important or wise. His voice is just one in a long line of voices…
Paul Kingsnorth: Intermezzo — The Last Post for Christian England
“There is no sacred kingdom anymore… there is nothing sacred anymore. From churches to forests, everything can be bought and sold. … We are in a new country now. We should pray that we can find our way in it.” Paul Kingsnorth I spent most of the day, along with several hundred million people around the world, watching the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth…