Common Dreams · Advancing Change in a Time of Disruption: Forging a New Pathway for Nature

A disruption—such as a global pandemic—can provide a window of opportunity to change our habits and make positive change.

By Mari Margil

I first traveled to Nepal in 2012 to meet with members of the Constituent Assembly drafting the country’s new constitution. The central question we discussed was how to tackle global warming from a Rights of Nature perspective.

Home to Mt. Everest, Nepal has witnessed the Himalayas become the fastest warming mountain range on earth.  The kind of change that is needed is obviously significant, and over the years, our discussions have shifted from what the United States should do (“get your country off our back” was a common refrain), to what smaller nations like Nepal must do in the wake of the growing climate crisis.