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Newsletters, Resources
The essays in Wouldn’t You Say? ask challenging questions about modern society,…
News from the Grassroots, Publications
A new system of law based on respect for Nature and the…
Issues, News, Resources, Rights of Nature
May 8, 2019
“This idea of a real human right to survive in the 21st century … was born – through the determination and commitment of the people who live [in Denver].”
Read More | Community Wires, News, Press ReleasesMay 8, 2019
As a judge denies Toledoans and Lake Erie intervention to defend the Lake Erie Bill of Rights against an agribusiness lawsuit to overturn it, community members file an appeal.
Read More | Community Wires, News, Press ReleasesApr 29, 2019
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 GrassrootsApr 24, 2019
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 StoryApr 22, 2019
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 StoryApr 16, 2019
The oil and gas industry tried to quash the Lake Erie Bill of Rights at the ballot. The agriculture industry is trying to quash it in court. CELDF is crowdfunding as we represent Lake Erie and Toledo community members to protect the Lake’s rights.
Read More | Community Wires, Press Releases & BlogsApr 14, 2019
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 GrassrootsApr 6, 2019
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 GrassrootsApr 3, 2019
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 StoryApr 2, 2019
GRANT TOWNSHIP, INDIANA COUNTY, PA: On April 1, federal Judge Susan Paradise Baxter issued an order that was not a joke: Grant Township (pop. 741), Baxter declared, owes Pennsylvania General Energy (PGE) over $100,000 in attorney’s fees and costs.
Read More | Community Wires, Press Releases & BlogsMar 25, 2019
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 GrassrootsMar 25, 2019
The New Hampshire Community Rights Amendment, CACR8, went before the state House of Representatives last week. It was blocked from advancing to a vote by New Hampshire citizens.
Read More | Community Wires, Press Releases & BlogsMar 19, 2019
Lake Erie files a motion to intervene in a lawsuit filed by industry to overturn the Lake Erie Bill of Rights.
Read More | Community Wires, Press Releases & BlogsMar 19, 2019
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 GrassrootsMar 17, 2019
Nottingham, New Hampshire, residents adopt the second right to healthy climate law in the state at Town Meeting.
Read More | Community Wires, Press Releases & Blogs, Success StoryMar 13, 2019
Yesterday, Exeter, New Hampshire, residents adopted their Right to a Healthy Climate Ordinance at Town Meeting. This is the first right-based climate law in the state.
Read More | Community Wires, Press Releases & Blogs, Success StoryMar 12, 2019
Thom Hartmann interviews CELDF’s Ohio organizer Tish O’Dell on the Lake Erie Bill of Rights adopted by Toledo residents.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryMar 10, 2019
“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 StoryMar 1, 2019
“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 StoryMar 1, 2019
The Editorial Board of the Toledo Blade takes a stand for the Lake Erie Bill of Rights.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsFeb 28, 2019
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 StoryFeb 28, 2019
Lake Erie’s legal rights are now acknowledged following Toledo, Ohio’s, special election on Tuesday.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsFeb 27, 2019
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 StoryFeb 27, 2019
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 StoryFeb 27, 2019
Lake Erie Bill of Rights is enacted by the people of Toledo, Ohio!
Read More | Community Wires, Success StoryFeb 26, 2019
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 StoryFeb 26, 2019
After 21/2 years working to place their Lake Erie Bill of Rights on the ballot, Toledo, Ohio, residents celebrate victory for the Great Lake.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryFeb 26, 2019
An historic vote by the people of Toledo, Ohio, marks the first time in the U.S. that the rights of an entire ecosystem are secured in law.
Read More | Community Wires, Press Releases & Blogs, Success StoryFeb 25, 2019
After decades of failed regulations to “protect” Lake Erie and several years of record-breaking algae blooms, Toledo, Ohio, residents prepare to vote on the Lake Erie Bill of Rights.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryFeb 21, 2019
Government representatives, acting on behalf of industry, have failed to protect Lake Erie. Toledo, Ohio, residents advance a Lake Erie Bill of Rights ballot measure to protect the Lake, their water, and their community. They vote next Tuesday.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryFeb 19, 2019
While elected officials do nothing substantive to protect Lake Erie, Toledo residents follow in the footsteps of indigenous and other communities, voting next week on a groundbreaking citizen initiative to recognize the rights of the Great Lake.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryFeb 18, 2019
As the well-being of Lake Erie deteriorates, Toledoans are taking action, voting next week on a Lake Erie Bill of Rights citizen initiative. This is part of a growing strategy to recognize the Rights of Nature.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryFeb 9, 2019
Meigs County, Ohio, residents join six other communities in a federal Civil Rights lawsuit. The suit alleges Ohio government officials have routinely blocked valid citizen initiatives from the ballot.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsFeb 5, 2019
Medina County, Ohio, residents are part of a federal Civil Rights lawsuit filed to protect the rights of Ohio citizens to vote on proposed citizen initiatives. The lawsuit was filed after years of state officials blocking community members from the ballot.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsFeb 4, 2019
Ohio officials have blocked citizen initiatives advancing communities and nature’s rights since 2015. In response, citizen have filed suit against Ohio’s Secretary of State and local Boards of Elections.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsFeb 4, 2019
Fighting to protect Ohioans’ right to citizen initiative, seven communities partner with CELDF to file a Civil Rights lawsuit in federal court.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsFeb 4, 2019
Communities from across Ohio file a federal lawsuit against local Boards of Elections and the Ohio Secretary of State for multiple rights violations – including the right to vote.
Read More | Community Wires, Press Releases & Blogs, Success StoryFeb 3, 2019
An Ohio resident urges support for the Lake Erie Bill of Rights in Toledo to overcome devastating harms to the Lake’s ecosystem and communities’ drinking water.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsJan 29, 2019
“If there’s a problem to be treated, there’s a problem to be solved.” Toledoans take steps to solve the problem of contaminated water in Lake Erie on February 26th’s special election, with their Lake Erie Bill of Rights.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryJan 27, 2019
Lake Erie Bill of Rights (LEBOR) is on the February special elections ballot. Check out news coverage and the growing support for Toledo residents’ pioneering efforts to recognize the Lake’s rights.
Read More | Community Wires, Success StoryJan 26, 2019
Cleveland.com editorial board member cheers the Ohio Supreme Court’s recognition of Toledo residents’ right to vote on the Lake Erie Bill of Rights initiative in February.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryJan 23, 2019
Communities geographically far apart share similar threats to their water from red tides and green algae blooms. They also share looking at Rights of Nature to protect themselves – and Toledo, Ohio, is leading the way.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryJan 12, 2019
CELDF’s Australian partners champion the Lake Erie Bill of Rights, understanding the Great Lake – like the Great Barrier Reef – must be recognized as having the right to exist and flourish. CELDF is working with both groups to advance those rights.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryJan 4, 2019
San Juan Islands residents in Washington work to advance the rights of the Salish Sea.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsJan 4, 2019
New Hampshire legislators consider the NH Community Rights state constitutional amendment, with bi-partisan support from ten co-sponsors.
Read More | Community Wires, Press Releases & Blogs, Success StoryJan 2, 2019
Communities along the Salish Sea are organizing to advance the Sea’s rights to exist and flourish, free from toxic and other harms.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsJan 2, 2019
In this LTE, New Hampshire resident and Community Rights advocate speaks to the NH Community Rights state constitutional amendment, proposed and supported by ten legislators.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryDec 26, 2018
Overcoming numerous hurdles, Toledo, Ohio, residents will vote on their Lake Erie Bill of Rights in February. The measure recognizes the rights of Lake Erie to exist and flourish – and the right of residents to clean water.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryDec 26, 2018
Toledo, OH, residents celebrate advancing their Lake Erie Bill of Rights citizen initiative to the February 2019 ballot, despite state and industry efforts to stop them.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryDec 17, 2018
Industry allies attempt to keep the Lake Erie Bill of Rights off the ballot, while Toledo community members rally to protect the Lake’s rights and advance the measure.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots