Animal Rights & the Rights of Nature

As a leader in ecocentric law, Earth Law Center aims to explore, conceptually develop, and teach about the intersection of two legal fields—animal rights and the rights of nature. Whereas animal rights law has traditionally centered itself on the interests of individual nonhumans, rights of nature legal work has primarily addressed holistic ecosystem health. Historically, environmentalists and animal rights activists have failed to reach meaningful mutual understanding, even viewing each other with some hostility. Yet it seems clear that both groups could benefit from getting to know the other side. Rights of Nature has already provided a forum for this discussion to advance in meaningful ways, particularly in Latin America.

This campaign seeks to explore synergies and differences between these perspectives to create a comprehensive legal framework to elevate both movements, separately and together. 

Here are some of our specific offerings:

  1. Legal services offered to animal rights groups seeking expertise on how Rights of Nature can benefit strategic litigation and other legal efforts.

  2. A book chapter exploring the topic of animal rights for farmed animals, to be included in the second edition of the Earth Law coursebook.

  3. Development of content on animal rights & rights of nature to be included in the annual Earth Law class summer curriculum.

  4. Integration of pertinent content into the Earth Law Portal.

  5. Panels at conferences exploring the nuanced connections between environmental justice, animal welfare, and Indigenous rights; and

  6. Advancement of campaigns to recognize the rights and intrinsic value of marine species, focusing on the rights of Southern Resident orcas and sharks. 

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