Pacific Island Times: The right to climate

November 13th, 2021

Senior Legal Counsel for the Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights, Thomas Linzey, recently wrote an editorial for Pacific Island Times, “The right to climate”. Thomas takes time to impress the power of Rights of Nature lawsuits to prevent the further destruction of climate events on our planet. The article is a keen look at the heightened, anxious, awareness that filled the COPD26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, best conveyed via President Surangel Whipps, Jr. of Palau: “There is no dignity to a slow and painful death – you might as well bomb our islands instead of making us suffer only to witness our slow and fateful demise.”

Island nations have long borne the brunt of climate destruction; weathering floods, famine from loss of soil, and extreme weather conditions making existence unstable. Mr. Linzey argues that such devastating effects require drastic changes in how we view nature itself, and how to protect its ecosystems. This means taking a rights of nature approach in how we face this international threat. When we view the harm being done to our ecosystems as a human rights violation, and these natural entities deserving of their own protections as valued beings, we can all win. This article is publicly available here.