Ecocide: A legal green high? At the heart of its official negotiations, the Rio+20 summit is all about looking for political agreements that will improve the lot of society, particularly the poorest, and of nature.
Politics isn't necessarily the best course, nor politicians the best people to plot such a course, to judge by the glacial, boulder-strewn pace of talks here in Rio. The science is clear on so many of the issues, and ministers acknowledge it - but they see many other factors too, which is why the political response on issues such as climate change often lags way behind the science. If politics can't get on with it, what about the law? In 1996, lawyer Mark Gray had a simple vision: make ecocide (destroying nature) a crime. Well, you might say, any country can do that - and many countries have, in various degrees. But other nations don't have such laws. UN: Ecocide was the 5th Crime Against Peace. Jak udělat z ničení přírody trestný čin. Ničení přírody se vždy považovalo za morální přečin, nicméně britská právnička Polly Higginsová má odlišný názor: „Dokud se právně nejedná o zločin, nebude to považováno za nic hanebného.
Banky jsou ochotny vložit naše peníze — veřejné peníze — do těch nejničivějších praktik na světě, poněvadž na tom nevidí nic špatného.“ Higginsová vede kampaň, která usiluje o uznání ekocidy jako mezinárodního zločinu proti míru. Sama ji vymezuje jako „rozsáhlé ničení, poškození ekosystému/ů či jejich ztrátu na daném území, ať už lidskou činností nebo jinými příčinami, v takové míře, že mírumilovné užívání území jeho obyvateli je vážně poškozeno“. V souvislosti s populačním růstem a klimatickou změnou je čím dál pravděpodobnější, že ekocida povede k válkám o zdroje. Celý text je přístupný pouze předplatitelům. Ekocida: trhání kytek zločinem proti lidskosti. ( guardian) Britská právnička Higginsová přišla s nápadem.
Přesvědčiti OSN, aby zařadila ekocidu (zločiny proti životnímu prostředí) na seznam zločinů proti míru. Trhání kytek v národním parku pak bude postaveno na roveň genocidě? Moc bych se tomu nesmál. Jde o nejnovější trend, který souvisí s Prunéřovem. Šiřme slovo ekocida. Britská právnička Polly Higginsová zahájila kampaň za uznání ekocidy jako mezinárodního zločinu proti míru.
Ničení přírody se dosud považuje „jen“ za morální přečin, Higginsová se snaží, aby bylo právně uznáno jako zločin. Higginsová vymezuje ekocidu jako: „rozsáhlé ničení, poškození ekosystémů či jejich ztrátu na daném území, ať už lidskou činností nebo jinými příčinami, v takové míře, že mírumilovné užívání území jeho obyvateli je vážně poškozeno“. Protože je pravděpodobné, že ekocida povede k válkám o zdroje, jedná se o potencionální zločin proti míru, který je ze své povahy přeshraniční a multijurisdikční. End Ecocide petition discussed by European Parliament.
February 26th 2015 was a big day for End Ecocide: Two hearings took place in the European Parliament: one in the morning to discuss the European Citizens’ Initiative in the light of the upcoming revision of the legislationone in the afternoon to discuss End Ecocide.
We were the first ECI that was discussed as petition while it hadn’t achieved one million signatures. As most of you know we started as a European Citizens’ Initiative”End Ecocide in Europe” with a team of just 7 people. We believed this new tool for direct democracy will help us bring the issue of Ecocide on the European agenda, our experience with it was difficult but also inspiring, it helped us reach to a lot of people and create a big network of volunteers. Last year at our Conference “Future Generations depend on present decisions” in Brussels we organized a special workshop together with the ECI campaign on how to improve the European Citizens’ Initiative.
European Parliament to discuss End Ecocide initiative. End Ecocide is the first European Citizen's Initiative to be discussed as petition in the European Parliament Hearing: February 26th, 16:00, European Parliament, room ASP A1-G3 Brussels, 26.02.2015: For the first time, a European Citizens' Initiative will be discussed as petition in the European Parliament.
Over 184,000 EU citizens have given their personal data in support of a new law which would make the destruction of ecosystems a crime called Ecocide. While the 1 million threshold for a successful ECI requiring a Commission response was missed, this still demonstrates public demand for such law. A hearing will take place in the European Parliament on February 26th 2015, at 16:00, where a Commission representative will react to the citizens' proposal. Via the ECI, one million EU citizens can call on the European Commission to propose new legislation.
Ecocide is not a new concept but was included in the draft Crimes Against Peace, alongside Genocide and Crimes against Humanity. British campaigner urges UN to accept 'ecocide' as international crime. A campaign to declare the mass destruction of ecosystems an international crime against peace - alongside genocide and crimes against humanity - is being launched in the UK.
The proposal for the United Nations to accept "ecocide" as a fifth "crime against peace", which could be tried at the International Criminal Court (ICC), is the brainchild of British lawyer-turned-campaigner Polly Higgins. The radical idea would have a profound effect on industries blamed for widespread damage to the environment like fossil fuels, mining, agriculture, chemicals and forestry. Supporters of a new ecocide law also believe it could be used to prosecute "climate deniers" who distort science and facts to discourage voters and politicians from taking action to tackle global warming and climate change. "Ecocide is in essence the very antithesis of life," says Higgins. "It leads to resource depletion, and where there is escalation of resource depletion, war comes chasing behind.
Campaign to put ecocide on a par with genocide in attempt to curb environmental destruction - Green Living - Environment - The Independent. A grassroots movement called End Ecocide on Earth is seeking to have the wholesale destruction of ecosystems ranked alongside offences such as genocide and war crimes.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) would then be able to prosecute companies over major pollution incidents, such as the oil spills that have contaminated large areas of the Niger Delta region for half a century. The campaign, which will be launched at a conference on ecocide in Brussels, is the latest in a long-running drive dating back to the 1970s to create tougher global environmental safeguards. Although it was one of the five core crimes covered by the Rome Statute that set up the ICC, ecocide mysteriously vanished from negotiations at the United Nations. An academic who has studied the process said he had been unable to find out why, but suspects that lobbying by the nuclear industry may have been influential.
"I look at where we will be in 50 years and it's quite a disastrous outlook. Citizens’ initiative aims to end ecocide in Europe. Europe / Environment 22 Apr 2013 Environment lawyer Polly Higgins (left), with MEPs at the launch of the End Ecocide in Europe initiative, Brussels, January 2013 Photo © End Ecocide in Europe Damaging ecosystems in Europe could become a crime if a new citizens’ initiative is successful in its year-long campaign to establish a continent-wide ecocide law.
Eradicating Ecocide; the woman behind the campaign - interviews. In March 2010 international barrister, award winning author and environmental activist Polly Higgins proposed to the United Nations that Ecocide be the 5th Crime Against Peace.
Ecocide is: "the extensive damage to, destruction of or loss of ecosystem(s) of a given territory, whether by human agency or by other causes, to such an extent that peaceful enjoyment by the inhabitants of that territory has been or will be severely diminished. " Polly's campaign to make ecocide a crime subject to trial by jury attracted worldwide attention year later in 2011, when a mock trial of the CEOs of the oil companies operating in Canada's Athabasca Tar Sands was live-streamed online. Since then the Ecocide campaign has gone from strength to strength; To learn more about the campaign listen to an audio interview with visionary thinker and environmental heroine Polly Higgins, by the Small World Big Ideas project.
Supporting Ecocide Law. Eradicating Ecocide. Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Frontline Online: Sign the petition and help stop Ecocide? Our Strategy. End Ecocide on Earth is a global grassroots movement aimed at protecting ecosystems on which all life on earth – including human – depends. And you’re part of it!
The main idea is intriguingly simple: the destruction of ecosystems must become a crime. A crime for which those in positions of superior responsibility can be held accountable according to criminal law. The Ecocide Project. The term 'ecocide' refers to the extensive destruction, damage to or loss of ecosystem(s) of a given territory. In a series of resolutions, the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations Human Rights Council have drawn attention to the relationship between a safe and healthy environment and the enjoyment of human rights. These resolutions have raised awareness of how fundamental ecosystems are to the enjoyment of human rights.
The Ecocide Project (EP) of the Human Rights Consortium, School of Advanced Study, University of London is a unique academic forum that provides a national focal point for leading, facilitating and promoting research into the problem of ecocide, its human rights implications and the drive by our partners - the 'Eradicating Ecocide' initiative - to make it the 5th Crime Against Peace . Contact. Ecocide research report 19 July 13. Protecting the planet: a proposal for a law of ecocide. End Ecocide in Europe - www.endecocide.eu. Ecocide. The term ecocide refers to any extensive damage or destruction of the natural landscape and disruption or loss of ecosystem(s) of a given territory to such an extent that the survival of the inhabitants of that territory is endangered.[1][2] Ecocide can be irreversible when an ecosystem suffers beyond self healing.
It is generally associated with damage caused by a living agent whether directly or indirectly. An organism might inflict ecocide directly by killing enough species in an ecosystem to disrupt its structure and function.[3] Ecocide can also result from pollution such as the introduction of high concentrations of pesticides which destroy the local flora extensively. A weaker definition of ecocide is that in which an organism destroys ecosystems other than its own.
(e.g. cancer). For example, it could be said that during the Precambrian era, blue-green algae committed ecocide upon the prevailing reducing-chemistry-based ecology, by releasing oxygen into the environment. Radical Environmentalists Ignore Genocide, Push "Ecocide" Ecocide: The Push to Criminalize Humanity For the Sake of Saving the Planet. By Susanne Posel By the year 2020, the eco-fascists hope to make ecocide the ultimate crime against the planet. With the green economy installed, and the mandates of Agenda 21 firmly in place, the only thing left to do is criminalize the entire human race. And ecocide promises to be the definitive “crime against peace”. Ecocide is defined as “the extensive damage to, destruction of or loss of ecosystem(s) of a given territory, whether by human agency or by other causes, to such an extent that peaceful enjoyment by the inhabitants of that territory has been or will be severely diminished.”
Yet the proposed explanation of ecocide is vaguely termed with phrases like: • Large-scale land use change that causes the direct destruction of habitats • Significant pollution whether deliberate or incidental • Open cast mining where entire landscapes are removed The UN has enacted global guidelines on purchasing agricultural land from developing nations like Africa and Asia. Source: occupycorporatism.