Nature Gets Equal Rights

Llamas are the national animal of Bolivia.
PHOTO: Flickr.com/schrödingerren katua

The Latin American country of Bolivia recently made world history by passing the first law that gives nature the same rights as humans. Drafted with input from indigenous communities and workers, the “Ley de Derechos de la Madre Tierra” (The Law of Mother Earth) states that humans must “respect, protect and guarantee” the health of Mother Earth. The law will allow the Bolivian people to protect water, forests, soil, insects and animals from pollution and development projects. Bolivia’s law sets an example for other countries that currently only protect the rights of humans and allow humans to damage nature.