In April, 2010, at the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Nature in Cochabamba, Bolivia, the “Universal Declaration of the Rights of Nature” (http://therightsofnature.org/
The preamble to the Declaration acknowledges the fact that we are all part of an interdependent, interrelated community of living beings and that we owe our existence to the world of nature, to our Mother the Earth and our Father the Sun, which together provide everything necessary for life. The Declaration affirms that as an interdependent living community, it is not possible to recognize the rights of human beings alone, without causing an unsustainable imbalance within the larger living community. The Declaration further recognizes the urgency of taking decisive, collective action to transform those structures and systems that cause climate change and other threats to our natural living world.
We are approaching the threshold of the earth’s ecological collapse due to our abuse, commodification, degradation and manipulation of the world’s natural systems, resulting in a precipitous loss of biodiversity. Thus, the Environmental Committee urges October2011.org to endorse and support the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Nature, and further, to take immediate action to stop or curb violations of said Universal Declaration of the Rights of Nature to the greatest extent possible, whenever and wherever they occur.
Although assaults on Nature occur almost continuously worldwide, the Keystone XL Pipeline poses the most serious and immediate risk to people and natural systems, both in the US and internationally: a clear and present danger, if implemented. According to James Hansen of NASA’s Goddard Space Institute, “the environmental impacts of tar sands development include: irreversible effects on biodiversity and the natural environment, reduced water quality, destruction of fragile, pristine Boreal Forest and associated wetlands, aquatic and watershed mismanagement, habitat fragmentation and loss, disruption to life cycles of endemic wildlife, particularly bird and caribou migrations, fish deformities and negative impacts on human health in downstream communities”. Hansen claims that if emissions from tar sands oil are added to the current of mix of emissions from coal and other fossil fuels, “it is essentially game over” for the planet.
We hope that October2011.org will endorse not only the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Nature, but will also agree to endorse a Pledge of Resistance to the Keystone XL Pipeline, through pre-planned action, especially if the President approves it. We welcome any suggestions for appropriate direct action, including ways to educate the public on this critical issue. Respectfully submitted:
Environmental Committee, October2011.org