Environmental lawyer Polly Higgins on criminalising "ecocide"

LONDON (AlertNet) - Current environmental measures do not go far enough to protect the planet, argues Polly Higgins, an international environmental lawyer and the author of "Eradicating Ecocide", a book about criminalising the destruction of ecosystems .

In April 2010, Higgins submitted a legal proposal to the United Nations that would make the destruction of ecosystems -- so-called ecocide -- a fifth crime against peace alongside genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression.

"By creating an international crime of ecocide, what we create is an umbrella piece of legislation that overrides all other existing laws and therefore closes the door to such damaging and destructive activity," Higgins told AlertNet in an interview at an event in London organised by Net Impact.

The proposed law would recognise the sanctity of not only human life, but all life.

"What I am proposing is mass ecocide -- I am looking at big destruction, and this is really about identifying the largest perpetrators of that damage and destruction," she said.

Net Impact is a network of students and professionals who believe business can create a more environmentally sustainable society.

- Julie Mollins, AlertNet, London

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Polly Higgins
• environment
• climate change
• AlertNet
• ecocide
• environmental law
• eradicating ecocide
• ecosystems
• Julie Mollins

[Ayterion]

Thje greatest for a fact is the Great Lakes Office In Chicago and International EPA office in Chicago which is the great laws on earth and what you are saying is in fact I know since before 1996 ( we Perfect Science were at Habitat 11).

What you are saying is silly only goverment can do this because of laws and private property rights .

[Ayterion]

No your note as great as Randall or Andrew Nixon Pan-Thor Habitat 11

He is the greatest they are

Arch the pollution you sang for Palestine fix toilet 's

[Nutzernichtaus]

thank you for this really informative video !!

[curesriches]

@Carlos: The United States as we kNOW it could last a lot longer if we complained about our common enemy of the worst example of greed of G8 nations Silvio Berlusconi billionaire, media monopoly, prime minister. There is a real danger of his facilitating a world war as the demented fascist that he is becoming.

[CarlosJoseMunez88]

This woman is almost as insane as Albert Wesker in Resident Evil 5. Sure, reducing fossil fuel and wood use is a good thing, but her vision of punishing humanity for harvesting oil and wood, even if done carefully, is not only hypocritical, but is simply evil. I really hope the UN rejects her proposal. If they accept it... it's very much game over for the United States as we know it.