In 2018, ten years after Ecuador incorporated the rights of nature in its constitution, the International Rights of Nature Symposium took place in Quito.
In 2018, ten years after Ecuador incorporated the rights of nature in its constitution, the International Rights of Nature Symposium took place in Quito.
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Kersten, Jens. “Ecological Constitutionalism: A Necessity.” Springs: The Rachel Carson Center Review, no. 4 (2023).
It is no longer a new idea to state that we are living in the Anthropocene—an era in which humanity has become a force of nature. But when we look more closely, it is not humanity as a whole, but primarily the Global North that is responsible for the negative developments of the Anthropocene, such as species extinctions, the climate crisis, and the pollution of the planet. To be able to mitigate these ecological problems, we must radically change our daily living habits as well as our economic system. The states of the Global North must therefore transform their legal systems in accordance with ecological constitutionalism, for law is the tool by which we can shape our society and economy, and, ultimately, make them ecological. (From the article)
This article was originally published in Springs: The Rachel Carson Center Review. Springs is an online publication featuring peer-reviewed articles, creative nonfiction, and artistic contributions that showcase the work of the Rachel Carson Center and its community across the world.
2023 Jens Kersten
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