Rights of Nature - WBUR

What if the Charles River had rights? That’s the question in the recent Rights of Nature Earth Day Commentary published in WBUR.

“Rights of Nature would be a powerful voice for protection and stewardship of the river," says Jennifer Ryan, Deputy Director of Advocacy.

“Indigenous traditions generally regard humans as part of nature, interdependent with other living beings. While Western societies tend toward domination and extraction, most Indigenous ontologies revolve around stewardship and sustainability. Rights of Nature harmonizes with this more integrated understanding of the relationship between humanity and the natural world,” writes Fred Hewett.

"It's really about a culture shift and demonstrating that people and nature are profoundly connected," says Ryan.