Rights of Nature: Understanding the Relationship of Legal Personhood and the Rights of Nature; and Moving to Legal Naturehood

It has been a fifteen-year progression from theory into practice, with the first Rights of Nature law adopted in 2006, to where the rights of nature movement are today. 

In N2K’s Evolution of the Rights of Nature Laws with Mari Margil of CDER, Mari discusses how the rights of nature have evolved, from the first law in Pennsylvania, to today including constitutions, court cases, and local and national laws in Ecuador, Colombia, and Florida and other places. 

She discusses the relationship between legal personhood and the rights of nature. 

In human law, being identified as a legal person means being able to have legal rights, but also means having duties and responsibilities. Mari discusses how this is a human concept that does not apply well to Nature, as Nature cannot honor an obligation as understood in the human sense.  She discusses the idea of moving beyond the concept of personhood to “legal naturehood.” To watch this exciting interview, click here.