The rights you might not realize you have - Shannon Odell
TED-Ed
5 min, 30 sec
A detailed look at the global movement of youth suing governments over climate inaction and the relationship between human rights and environmental protection.
Summary
- Since 2015, young plaintiffs worldwide have been suing governments for failing to address climate change, claiming it infringes on their human rights.
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted in 1948, does not directly mention environmental rights but has been the basis for later environmental human rights developments.
- Countries, mainly in the Global South, started incorporating the right to a healthy environment in their constitutions, influencing global human rights advocacy.
- Legal victories in countries like Colombia, the Netherlands, Germany, and the US have set a precedent, inspiring over 2,000 similar cases globally by 2023.
- In 2022, the UN General Assembly recognized the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, reflecting the urgent need for global cooperation on environmental protection.
Chapter 1
Introduction to the movement of youth suing governments for climate inaction and the impact on their lives.
- Young plaintiffs, some as young as 7, have been suing governments since 2015 for not taking adequate action on climate change.
- Lawsuits claim that government inaction and harmful environmental policies jeopardize the plaintiffs' current and future lives.
- The plaintiffs argue that climate inaction violates their basic human rights, including the right to a healthy environment, health, food, and water.
Chapter 2
Exploration of the relationship between human rights and environmental protections, and the history of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- Questions arise about whether humans have the right to breathe clean air and live in a world with diverse species and ecosystems.
- The UDHR, established in 1948, outlines freedoms for all people that are inherent and can't be revoked, but doesn't mention environmental rights.
- The UDHR's non-binding nature still set international standards that have been integrated into treaties, constitutions, and laws globally.
Chapter 3
The development of environmental rights at the national level and the increasing recognition of these rights internationally.
- Environmental rights first emerged at the national level, especially within the Global South, often influenced by Indigenous perspectives.
- Human rights advocates urged the United Nations and the world to acknowledge the right to a healthy environment as essential.
- The principles of the UDHR are considered dependent on access to healthy ecosystems, with pollution and habitat loss posing significant threats.
Chapter 4
Historic legal victories for environmental protection and the growing number of environmental cases filed worldwide.
- Over 150 countries have incorporated the right to a healthy environment into their national laws.
- Significant court rulings, like the one from the Colombian Supreme Court, oblige governments to act on deforestation and emissions.
- The success of these cases has inspired a global wave of over 2,000 human rights-based environmental cases as of 2023.
Chapter 5
The UN's acknowledgment of environmental rights and the critical need for international action to protect the environment.
- In 2022, the UN General Assembly recognized the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.
- There is a pressing need for global cooperation to reduce emissions, halt deforestation, and preserve water cleanliness.
- Court cases serve as an important step in holding governments accountable and ensuring future generations inherit a healthier planet.
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