“What if nature had rights?” is a question that gets to the heart of the destruction our society is doing to the world we live on.
Rather than treat nature as property, Rights of Nature acknowledge that nature in all its forms has the right to exist, thrive and flourish.
A forest ecosystem — the trees, rivers, soil and everything living in that web of life — has a right to be healthy. The decision to cut a forest down should not depend on who owns the land and the amount of profit they can make. It should depend on the forest ecosystem’s right to exist.
Nature does have rights. The problem is that our industrial/technology-dependent world does not recognize such rights or respect them.
Various indigenous cultures acknowledge nature’s rights. Those rights have influenced the way they have lived for centuries. Our culture needs to wake up, learn and earn the wisdom of indigenous people. Nature has rights.
Such a wake-up has begun. It dates back a few decades and is happening all over the world — in New Zealand, India, Ecuador and nearby Lincoln County.
We can do something locally. Lane County can pass its own ballot initiative recognizing the Rights of Nature.
Want to learn more? Go to the “What if Nature had Rights?” panel discussion 6 pm, Sept. 20, at the Many Nations Longhouse. The panelists will discuss what’s been done elsewhere, what has succeeded and what has failed. And what we can do locally.
John Herberg
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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