Rights of Nature: Who Holds Them? A Plain Language Legal Guide for Earth Citizens

This is the second in an evolving series of guides intended to provide a general, plain-language introduction to Rights of Nature laws. They are intended for anyone curious about the subject, from ordinary citizens to community organizers, business people, scientists, politicians, government officials and Indigenous leaders. The guides survey common features of Rights of Nature laws that have been enacted around the world. Each guide addresses a different question. This one addresses the question "what are rights of nature?" It canvases the wide variety of rights recognized by Rights of Nature laws around the world, including rights to life, to regenerate and maintain integrity, to flourish and evolve, to freedom from cruelty or torture, to liberty, to be respected, to be protected and restored, to health and wellbeing, to a healthy environment, to a stable climate system, to water, to clean air, to freedom from pollution, to freedom from genetic modification, to diversity, to freedom from discrimination, and to non-interference with rights. It also explores some legal limitations on these rights.