The Recognition of the Rights of Nature

I recently produced the documentary “The Rights of Nature: A Global Movement.” This past year it has been shown at film festivals, universities and environmental conferences. The idea of nature having rights has existed for centuries. Some indigineous cultures view nature as an ancestor and treat the land as they would a grandparent. This segment from the film documents the recent legal beginnings of the rights of nature in the western world. This movement made global headlines when the country of Ecuador adopted the rights of nature as part of its constitution in 2008.

In 2008 Ecuador became the first country to recognize nature as a legal entity.

In the documentary, environmental players in Ecuador explain the history behind the legal recognition of the rights of nature.