Rights for nature
Summary
Host David McCullagh discusses the European citizens' initiative to grant legal rights to ecosystems with ecologist Donna Mullen. They explore how this shift would allow rivers and forests to sue polluters, citing examples like Spain’s Mar Menor and Ecuador’s woolly monkey case. Mullen explains how this protects entire habitats rather than single species, arguing that nature has intrinsic rights beyond human utility.
Topics discussed
Introduction to the EU Citizens' Initiative on Biodiversity
Explaining the concept of legal rights for nature
Case study: The Mar Menor salt marsh in Spain
Potential applications in Ireland and local councils
Ecuador's rights of nature and the woolly monkey case
Intrinsic rights of nature vs. economic utility
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