The Time Has Come to Take the Human Rights Movement beyond Humanity
Yesterday 10th December, was officially the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Although much has changed to move human rights forward over the last 60 years, issues still remain and atrocities still occur, but the fact that we acknowledge that we have rights as human beings gives everyone the right to dignity and respect.
Today we see the need to take this movement to the next level. As a Race, yes we have rights, but it’s also time to acknowledge our duty of care that lies beyond us - The Planet. The Planet that gives relentlessly, and is the one and only reason we are alive and able to live the life we currently enjoy. Global climate change, melting polar ice caps, dwindling resources, deforestation, desertification, water shortages, increased natural disasters, and animals on the brink of extinction, are all symptoms of a Planet in pain, a Planet whose rights have been abused and that could lead to our own ultimate demise. By giving the planet a bill of rights we are not being overly politically correct, it doesn’t need to get pedantic! But we are acknowledging that use of the land needs to be sustainable, we have no right to Rape the Planet anymore than we do other human beings.
Polly Higgins a qualified Barrister has set up a fantastic movement to fight for Planetary rights. The “Trees Have Rights Too” Campaign was introduced to the United Nations on 6th November at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, in a bid to encourage this uniquely placed organisation put into place the steps necessary to achieve this Universal Declaration. If approved this Bill of Rights could protect the Planet for our future generations whilst still allowing us to prosper as a race.
Says Polly Higgins, “What is required is a seismic shift in our consciousness, rather than a mere reduction of emissions. This shift should give full recognition of the duty of care that we owe to this beautiful planet. Just as the humanitarian crisis of the Second World War gave birth to the implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 60 years ago on 10th December 1948, so we now have a planetary crisis that needs to be addressed with equal urgency. Let this be the date when we take those first steps to seriously address this problem.”
Official advice from NASA’s James Hansen urges us as a civilisation to reduce our green house gas emissions to 350 parts per million from the current 385ppm.
Polly Higgins extends this, saying “It’s
not merely a matter of reducing emissions, but also formally committing
at a meaningful global level to a duty of care to the planet. We have
to provide an inspirational legal foundation to create the legal tools
to remedy the damage, pollution and loss as well as to protect that
which is precious and still exists. Just as The Universal Declaration
of Human Rights has provided us with the tools to fight for human
rights so now we need to do the same to provide the necessary tools to
fight for the planets rights” "We must speak for the Earth - We are the
Earth"
Polly Higgins
For further information go to http://www.wisewomen.me.uk
