News from the Grassroots

Aug 22, 2019

Think32: Uniting Behind the Rights of Nature, the Rights of Ireland

Think32: Uniting Behind the Rights of Nature, the Rights of Ireland

Amidst calls for a new Irish Constitution are calls to recognize the Rights of Nature, changing how humankind and nature are in relationship, and how we protect nature under law.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Rights of Nature

Aug 21, 2019

PennLive: Opinion: The limits of home rule

PennLive: Opinion: The limits of home rule

It’s not enough to have Home Rule as state legislators continue to strip rights of local self-government from communities across the state. It’s time to change state constitutions to recognize the authority of communities to protect their own health, safety, and welfare.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Aug 20, 2019

The Bryan Times Letter to the Editor: Protecting Our Water

The Bryan Times Letter to the Editor: Protecting Our Water

Corporate interests intent on selling Williams County, Ohio, water for profit is the issue, points out this resident.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Aug 16, 2019

Florida Politics: Can rivers have rights? Orange County, others, mulling the question

Florida Politics: Can rivers have rights? Orange County, others, mulling the question

The Rights of Nature is taking root in Florida, as counties begin working with CELDF to protect water ecosystems from relentless corporate harms.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success Story

Aug 12, 2019

Bryan Times: Forum: County charter being stonewalled

Bryan Times: Forum: County charter being stonewalled

Williams County, Ohio, residents are working to protect their county’s water source from privatization. Their own government is trying to stop them.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Aug 12, 2019

Next City: Can Cities Grant Nature the Right to Exist, and Thrive?

Next City: Can Cities Grant Nature the Right to Exist, and Thrive?

More and more cities are taking action to end the commodification and exploitation of people and nature for corporate profit, using Community Rights and Rights of Nature.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success Story

Aug 3, 2019

NPR: Should Rivers Have Same Legal Rights As Humans? A Growing Number Of Voices Say Yes

NPR: Should Rivers Have Same Legal Rights As Humans? A Growing Number Of Voices Say Yes

NPR covers this story on the growing Rights of Nature movement across the U.S. and around the world. “‘[W]e have to change our environmental protection in this country and across the world, because obviously what we’re doing isn’t working.'”

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success Story

Jul 31, 2019

Truthout: States Are Thwarting Cities’ Attempts to Govern Themselves

Truthout: States Are Thwarting Cities’ Attempts to Govern Themselves

The federal court’s decision to uphold the Berkeley cellphone radiation disclosure law should not be mistaken for judicial deference to the right of local self-government.

Read More | News from the Grassroots

Jul 22, 2019

The Columbus Dispatch: Letter: Budget section tramples on community, nature’s rights

The Columbus Dispatch: Letter: Budget section tramples on community, nature’s rights

Community members in Columbus, Ohio, call out the state legislators’ shameful efforts to quash Rights of Nature in the budget bill.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Jul 17, 2019

CELDF on the Daily Show: The Fight to Turn Lake Erie into a Person

CELDF on the Daily Show: The Fight to Turn Lake Erie into a Person

The Daily Show’s Michael Kosta covers Toledo residents’ work to protect Lake Erie by recognizing the Lake’s rights…and he takes the Lake’s…hand in marriage?!

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success Story

Jul 16, 2019

WGCU: The Rights of Nature Movement Comes to Lee County

WGCU: The Rights of Nature Movement Comes to Lee County

CELDF co-founder Thomas Linzey on the growing Rights of Nature movement as the people of Lee County, Florida, look to recognize the rights of the Caloosahatchee River.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Jul 2, 2019

Common Dreams: The Meek Be Damned on Global Warming

Common Dreams: The Meek Be Damned on Global Warming

A call to action by CELDF’s Thomas Linzey – the time to act is now, advancing community democracy in the name of sustainability, and the rights of nature.

Read More | News from the Grassroots

Jun 16, 2019

Blanca Livier Blog: Colima makes history: They recognize the Rights of Nature in the Constitution

Blanca Livier Blog: Colima makes history: They recognize the Rights of Nature in the Constitution

The State of Colima in Mexico recognizes the Rights of Nature in its constitution.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Jun 14, 2019

Ecologist: Ohio state government attacks Rights of Nature

Ecologist: Ohio state government attacks Rights of Nature

CELDF’s community organizer Tish O’Dell on what it takes to protect Lake Erie and Rights of Nature as the state of Ohio attacks both.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Jun 7, 2019

E&E News:  Ohio pushes court to sink legal rights for Lake Erie

E&E News: Ohio pushes court to sink legal rights for Lake Erie

As Ohioans make strides to advance Rights of Nature, the people’s own state government fights to stop them.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Jun 7, 2019

The Indiana Gazette: Grant Township took proper stance

The Indiana Gazette: Grant Township took proper stance

Grant Township, PA, resident speaks out on criticism aimed at Township’s efforts to protect the community from a toxic fracking wastewater injection well.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Jun 5, 2019

Common Dreams, Inc. : How to Arm Nature Against Corporate Profiteers

Common Dreams, Inc. : How to Arm Nature Against Corporate Profiteers

Jim Hightower, national radio commentator, author, and public speaker, points to the Rights of Nature movement as a grassroots effort to protect the biosphere and challenge corporate rule.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success Story

Jun 3, 2019

Resistance Radio Interview with CELDF’s Ben Price

Resistance Radio Interview with CELDF’s Ben Price

Derrick Jensen interviews CELDF’s Ben Price on his newly published book, How Wealth Rules the World.

Read More | News from the Grassroots

May 23, 2019

Salud America: Toledo Mom Fights for Clean Drinking Water for Her Own, All Children

Salud America: Toledo Mom Fights for Clean Drinking Water for Her Own, All Children

The story of one Toledo mom and her taking action to protect her children, her community, and the Great Lake Erie through Community Rights and Rights of Nature.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success Story

May 20, 2019

KGNU: Who Paid to Defeat Initiative 300?

KGNU: Who Paid to Defeat Initiative 300?

An interview with CELDF’s Ben Price on Denver’s Right to Survive ordinance, and the $2.3 million spent by industries to defeat it.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

May 7, 2019

Truthout: UN Report Says Indigenous Sovereignty Could Save the Planet

Truthout: UN Report Says Indigenous Sovereignty Could Save the Planet

It’s time to recognize the rights of ecosystems and the authority of communities to stop harmful projects. “[T]he best defenders of nature and biodiversity are the communities themselves.”

Read More | News from the Grassroots

May 6, 2019

DC Media Group: Biodiversity in Collapse: How to Save 1 Million Species from Extinction

DC Media Group: Biodiversity in Collapse: How to Save 1 Million Species from Extinction

“[It’s time to] enact laws that recognize the inalienable rights of ecosystems to exist, flourish and naturally evolve, and the authority of the community to protect [it]”

Read More | News from the Grassroots

Apr 29, 2019

Standard Speaker: Supervisors want to hear from nonprofit about well issue

Standard Speaker: Supervisors want to hear from nonprofit about well issue

Community members in North Union Township, Pennsylvania, engage with CELDF and its partner Network to discuss using Community Rights to protect their water from being siphoned off.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Apr 27, 2019

ANI News: Ecuador native community defeats government in court, gets oil exploration banned

ANI News: Ecuador native community defeats government in court, gets oil exploration banned

Oil corporations were forced to back off native lands in Ecuador. A court decision held that their actions were “inadequate and violated the ‘community’s right to self-determination.'”

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success Story

Apr 24, 2019

National Geographic: A Voice for Nature

National Geographic: A Voice for Nature

More than just recognizing legal rights, the growing Rights of Nature movement is a paradigm shift in the relationship between human beings and nature.

Read More | News from the Grassroots, Success Story

Apr 22, 2019

The Blade: Watch: Lake Erie activist addresses the United Nations

The Blade: Watch: Lake Erie activist addresses the United Nations

Community Rights leader Markie Miller, from Toledo, Ohio, speaks to the UN General Assembly. She was invited to talk about the Lake Erie Bill of Rights, an historic law adopted by Toledoans in February.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success Story

Apr 22, 2019

Environmental News Service: Earth Day 2019 Marked By Climate Concerns

Environmental News Service: Earth Day 2019 Marked By Climate Concerns

Earth Day celebrations span the globe, highlighting Earth’s beauty and the threat of climate change devastation. Rights of Nature is a growing movement to stop climate change and other harms.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Apr 14, 2019

The Blade: BP wasted money fighting LEBOR

The Blade: BP wasted money fighting LEBOR

The Editorial Board of the Toledo Blade calls out the irony of Houston-based BP Corporation funding the anti-Lake Erie Bill of Rights campaign, which attacked the citizen initiative as led by “outside influencers.”

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Apr 6, 2019

Toledoans for Safe Water: Campaign Finance Report Sheds Light on Corrupt Corporate Influence Against the Lake Erie Bill of Rights

Toledoans for Safe Water: Campaign Finance Report Sheds Light on Corrupt Corporate Influence Against the Lake Erie Bill of Rights

BP Corporation was the sole monetary donor behind the campaign to quash the Lake Erie Bill of Rights (LEBOR). The measure won with 61% of the vote.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Apr 3, 2019

The Blade: United Nations invites Lake Erie activists to speak about bill of rights

The Blade: United Nations invites Lake Erie activists to speak about bill of rights

Community members from Toledo, Ohio, are invited to the United Nations this month to speak about the Lake Erie Bill of Rights adopted by citizens in February.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success Story

Mar 25, 2019

Fosters.com: State reps block local rights effort

Fosters.com: State reps block local rights effort

The people of New Hampshire have the right to govern themselves and protect their communities from corporate harm – yet the state legislature blocks them from securing that right in the state constitution.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Mar 19, 2019

Cleveland.com: Lake Erie – yes, the body of water – asks to be let into lawsuit over bill of rights

Cleveland.com: Lake Erie – yes, the body of water – asks to be let into lawsuit over bill of rights

The Great Lake Erie files to intervene in a lawsuit brought by the agricultural industry to overturn Toledo, Ohio’s, Lake Erie Bill of Rights.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Mar 10, 2019

The London Free Press: What an Ohio city’s bold move to protect Lake Erie tells us

The London Free Press: What an Ohio city’s bold move to protect Lake Erie tells us

“What we really need to do is look at the (lake) as a whole, as an ecosystem that has inherent rights, that transcends the political parties of the day.”

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success Story

Mar 1, 2019

Smithsonian Magazine: Toledo, Ohio, Just Granted Lake Erie the Same Legal Rights as People

Smithsonian Magazine: Toledo, Ohio, Just Granted Lake Erie the Same Legal Rights as People

“We’ve been using the same laws for decades to try and protect Lake Erie. They’re clearly not working.” Thus, Toledo, Ohio, community members recognized the rights of Lake Erie via the ballot.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success Story

Feb 28, 2019

The Telegraph: US lake wins its own ‘human rights’ in landmark ruling

The Telegraph: US lake wins its own ‘human rights’ in landmark ruling

Lake Erie joins growing numbers of ecosystems around the world where people and governments are recognizing their rights to exist, flourish, and evolve.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success Story

Feb 28, 2019

The Hill: Ohio city votes to give Lake Erie same legal rights as a person

The Hill: Ohio city votes to give Lake Erie same legal rights as a person

Lake Erie’s legal rights are now acknowledged following Toledo, Ohio’s, special election on Tuesday.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Feb 27, 2019

The Progressive: Toledo Residents Vote to Recognize Personhood for Lake Erie

The Progressive: Toledo Residents Vote to Recognize Personhood for Lake Erie

Lake Erie now has legally-enforceable rights, with the overwhelming majority of Toledo, Ohio, residents voting in support of their Lake Erie Bill of Rights citizen initiative.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success Story

Feb 27, 2019

Vox: Lake Erie just won the same legal rights as people

Vox: Lake Erie just won the same legal rights as people

A groundbreaking election in Toledo, Ohio, puts this midwestern city on the map – voters recognized the rights of Lake Erie and can take legal action to protect it.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success Story

Feb 26, 2019

Vox: Ohio voters are about to decide if Lake Erie has legal rights

Vox: Ohio voters are about to decide if Lake Erie has legal rights

Today, Toledo, Ohio, residents are voting on recognizing the rights of Lake Erie to exist and flourish – the next step in a changing landscape where the rights of ecosystems are expanding globally.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success Story