Table of Contents

Preface xiii


Three Damaging Ideas and a Potential Solution xxi


Part I. THE RIGHTS OF ANIMALS  


The Honorary Vertebrate 2


1. Breakthroughs in Understanding Animal Minds 7


Lucy 22


2. The Evolution of Animal Welfare 25


3. Can a Chimpanzee Be a Legal Person? 36


4. The Expansion of Animal Rights 44


Part II. The Rights of Species


A Fish, a Dam, and a Lawsuit That Changed the World 60


5. Saving Endangered Species: “Whatever the Cost” 69


A Dirty Cop and the Unicorn of the Sea 79


6. Endangered Species Laws Go Global 85


Part III. The Rights of Nature: From Trees to Rivers and Ecosystems


Walt Disney, the Sierra Club, and the Mineral King Valley 102


7. Watershed Moments: Asserting the Rights of American Ecosystems 109


8. A River Becomes a Legal Person 131


The Land Was Here First 144


9. Te Urewera: the Ecosystem Formerly Known as a National Park 147


Part IV. The Rights of Nature: New Constitutional and Legal Foundations


A River Goes to Court 160


10. Pachamama and Ecuador’s Pioneering Constitution 165


An Unlikely President and Champion for Nature’s Rights 185


11. Bolivia and the Rights of Mother Earth 189


A Voice for the Great Barrier Reef 202


12. Global Game Changers 206


Conclusion: Right Planet, Rights Time 219


Selected Bibliography 235


Acknowledgements tks


Index tks


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About the Author

David R. Boyd is an environmental lawyer, professor, and advocate for recognition of the right to live in a healthy environment. Boyd is the award-winning author of eight books, including The Optimistic Environmentalist, and co-chaired Vancouver’s Greenest City initiative with Mayor Gregor Robertson. He lives on Pender Island, B.C. For more information, visit DavidRichardBoyd.com.

Reviews

“This is a real-life legal thriller. Imagine constitutions and laws acknowledging that rivers and ecosystems have rights and cannot be owned by humans. Envision judges recognizing that sentient animals are `legal persons’ and should no longer be regarded as property. Leading environmental lawyer David Boyd takes us on a trip around the world to look at these stunning shifts in humanity’s relationship with nature. A pioneering work.” — David Suzuki, award-winning scientist, environmentalist, and broadcaster



“David Boyd’s new book explores one of the most ground-breaking legal ideas of our time. His stories about courageous people, remarkable laws, visionary lawsuits, and precedent setting court decisions are inspiring and welcome.” — Devon Page, Executive Director, Ecojustice



“The rights of nature movement is needed now more than ever, especially if we hope to ensure the well-being of Earth’s species and ecosystems for this, and future, generations. David Boyd compellingly helps to chart that journey.” — Terry Tamminen, CEO of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation



“Changing our laws to better reflect that laws of nature may be the only way to save the planet. David Boyd has written a brilliant call to arms to get behind a movement whose time has (finally, thankfully) come.” — Maude Barlow, author of Boiling Point



“At once a fascinating history and a spirited call-to-arms, The Rights of Nature provides a vital dose of optimism in this age of environmental woe. Filled with stories of crusading lawyers, pugnacious civilians, and (yes!) enlightened world leaders, David R. Boyd’s work illustrates how good intentions can change the world, but only when backed by the full clout of the law. It deserves a place on every concerned citizen’s bookshelf.” — Andrew Westoll, author of The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary



“Boyd has given us a transformative book​. This is a must-read for students, lawyers, policy-makers and citizens of all nations. This is a profoundly important book, one that should be read by anyone who cares about creating a new, more equitable and sustainable relationship between humans and their Earth. It may one day be recognized as the Silent Spring of the twenty-first century.” — Professor Lynda Collins, Centre for Environmental Law & Global Sustainability, University of Ottawa



“Expertly written case studies in which legalese is accessibly distilled . . . are empowering reminders that the seemingly inevitable slide toward planetary destruction can be halted. Boyd persuasively shows that treating the law as an evolving instrument, combined with public-awareness campaigns and political pressure, can help curb humanity’s worst excesses.” — Publishers Weekly