10.10.08: 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - now is the time for Planetary Rights

60 years on and now we need to look to Planetary Rights

60 years on from the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights – the UN has been called upon to officially recognise the rights of the Planet

10th December 2008 – today’s 60th anniversary of the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been chosen as an appropriate springboard for addressing the growing crisis of global climate change. Choosing to launch a campaign for a UN Universal Declaration of Planetary Rights on this significant date is hoped to encourage people to recognise its urgency and importance in a bid to raise widespread awareness and positive action across the globe.

What is required is a seismic shift in our consciousness, rather than a mere reduction of emissions. This shift should give full recognition of the duty of care that we owe to this beautiful planet. Just as the humanitarian crisis of the Second World War gave birth to the implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 60 years ago on 10th December 1948, so we now have a planetary crisis that needs to be addressed with equal urgency. Let this be the date when we take those first steps to seriously address this problem.

Official advice from NASA’s James Hansen urges us as a civilisation to reduce our green house gas emissions to 350 parts per million from the current 385ppm. It’s not merely a matter of reducing emissions, but also formally committing at a meaningful global level to a duty of care to the planet. We have to provide an inspirational legal foundation to create the legal tools to remedy the damage, pollution and loss as well as to protect that which is precious and still exists. Just as The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has provided us with the tools to fight for human rights so now we need to do the same to provide the necessary tools to fight for the planets rights

Climate change is one of the symptoms of the damage humankind has caused by excessive consumption of the earth’s resources. We have but a small window of opportunity to act – and that window is opening now.

“We must speak for the Earth – We are the Earth”