Day 19

In order to achieve meaningful change for the sake of our planet, our relationship with nature must evolve. One way to achieve that is through a revaluation of nature, where we acknowledge the true value it holds and shift previous ideas of nature’s worth. To do this, we have to consider the true cost of losing the benefits and protections that nature provides, and how that cost will be passed onto future generations. 

When we think about the economics of a healthy and just planet, there are a few key concepts to consider. Today, we typically associate the terms “capital” and “value” with one thing: money. But what about natural capital? Natural capital is the world’s stock of natural assets: geology, soil, air, water, lifeforms, and more. The economy relies on natural capital as the building blocks of almost everything, yet the connection between our environments and economies is often ignored.  

Our current economic system puts profit over planet and people. Luckily, concepts like true cost accounting address this by looking at the impact on the environment, climate, biodiversity, and public health when determining the actual cost of any product. Want to learn more? This short video from Lexicon of Sustainability quickly introduces the concept.    

Right now, society functions mostly within a linear model: make, use, trash. The result? Pollution, emissions, exploitation of resources, and waste. Luckily, there is an alternative. Have you ever heard of a circular economy? It has three core principles: designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. According to a recent UN study, switching to a circular economy is critical to limit global warming to only 1.5°C, the revised long term goal to which we must limit global temperature increase to be “safe.”

Unfortunately, we cannot change our economy overnight, so what can we do? When making purchases, look for brands that have sustainability as a core value and intrinsic part of the business model. We’re proud to highlight how our partner, Everyone, embodies this by creating organic plant-based products from sustainably farmed ingredients! Companies that value sustainability are vital in allowing us, as consumers, to value nature within the constraints of the current non-circular economy — as are organizations like Friends of the Earth that speak truth to power and run campaigns to change the economic and political systems that exploit nature to create ones that value, protect and honor it.

Revaluing the economics of nature is far from the only step we need to take; we also need to rethink our legal relationship with the natural world. Nature should have certain rights protected by law. By accepting the fact that humans are dependent on rather than dominant over ecosystems, we can begin to see nature as deserving of specific rights, similar to human rights. This is not as big of a stretch as it may sound. Afterall, the United States has already granted corporations legal personhood under the Constitution’s first and fourteenth amendments. 

Over the last decade, countries have begun pioneering ‘the rights of nature movement.’ In 2011, Ecuador became the first nation to see a legal win for the rights of nature. After a construction company dumped large amounts of debris into the Vilcabamba River, the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature sued the company, alleging that the river’s rights had been violated under the Ecuadorian Constitution. And the river won in court!

Another exciting event occured in 2017 when New Zealand’s parliament passed a law granting the Whanganui River legal personhood. That ruling gave dual guardianship of the river to the Māori people and the government of New Zealand, settling a long dispute between the two groups. This law can serve as an excellent model for how the rights of nature should be allocated globally. Once legal personhood is granted to an ecosystem, a guardian must be chosen to protect its rights. Often Indigenous peoples are best suited to assume guardianship, yet federal governments are hesitant to grant that power. By formally granting the Māori people a say in the river’s guardianship, New Zealand’s government has acknowledged that giving nature legal rights upholds the Indigneous tradition of valuing nature. As Māori activist Gerald Albert said, “for the first time, a framework stems from the intrinsic spiritual values of an Indigenous belief system.” 

Giving rights to nature might seem like a shiny, new legal concept, but it’s not. Indigenous peoples across the world have been viewing nature as sacred and worthy of praise and protection for thousands of years. Valuing natural ecosystems just as you would value a human is only innovative in the framework of modern Western political systems. In rethinking our relationship with nature and moving forward on our journeys as environmentalists, we look to Indigenous communities for examples to guide us. Only once the world can recognize the true value of nature can we begin to save it, once and for all.

Each Greener Winner Will Receive:

• Selection of items from our partner, EO/Everyone, a B Corp that manufactures plant-based body care products made with safe, natural, organic, and sustainably-farmed ingredients. They also donate personal care products and make financial contributions to organizations that serve our community, create local job opportunities, and offer employees paid time off to volunteer.
• Wash Pouch from Peak Design, a Climate Neutral B Corp that donates 1% to the Planet and the Conservation Alliance. Their mission is to make the best things, succeed at the expense of nobody, treat their customers as peers, offset their environmental impact and use their voice to inspire positive change. 

Each Greenest winner will receive: