Experiences from the South in a changing world: The rights of nature recognition

BERROS, MARÍA VALERIA

Energy and Environmental transformations in a Globalizing World: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue

Nomiki Vivliothiki

Lugar: Atenas; Año: 2015; p. 23 - 47

The recognition of the rights of nature is a recent debate taking place in juridical and ethical fields. In some Latin American countries, the recognition of the rights of "Pachamama", Mother Earth, has begun in the past few years. This process is articulated with proposals of alternative ways of living that are intrinsically tied to indigenous peoples´ worldviews. This contribution aims to explore these experiences and to identify some challenges for socio-juridical research. The first section presents regulations adopted in Ecuador and Bolivia that recognize rights of nature. The second section places the recognition of the rights of nature discussion in the context of alternatives to capitalism, presenting a novel approach to the discussion of ecological challenges. Finally, in the last section judicial cases where nature as a legal entity has started to appear as a main argument are presented and discussed.