Ecocide

1. “Our task must be to widen our circle of understanding and compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of Nature in her beauty”. Einstein

2. Ecocide

3. Ecocide Ecocide is the extensive destruction, damage to or loss of ecosystem(s) of a given territory, whether by human agency or by other causes, to such an extent that peaceful enjoyment by the inhabitants of that territory has been severely diminished.

4. Ecocide This is the campaign to have ecocide recognised as the Fifth Crime Against Peace in the UN. This is the campaign to criminalise large scale destruction of the planet. This is ERADICATING ECOCIDE

5. Key Facts About Ecocide Where will it be punished? International Criminal Court: To sit alongside the four other Crimes Against Peace.

6. Key Facts About Ecocide Where will it be punished? International Criminal Court: To sit alongside the four other Crimes Against Peace. What sort of crime? Strict Liability: Demonstrate that the criminal act has been committed, and not that the perpetrator had criminal intent. ‘Ergo Omnes’: Applies to all whether they agree to it or not (e.g. Pinochet).

7. Did you know?

8. Did you know? Destroying the environment is already an international crime

9. Article 8 (2) (b) (iv) of the Rome Statute “…prohibition of the widespread and long term and severe damage to the natural environment which would be clearly excessive in relation to the concrete and direct overall military advantage anticipated.”

10. How do we measure ecocide? Size (Widespread): 200 square kilometers, Duration (Long-lasting): a season (3 months), Impact (severe): a serious or significant disruption or harm to human life, natural and economic resources or other assets.

11. Why should Ecocide be a Crime Against Peace?

12. Why should ecocide be a crime?

13. Individuals would be held accountable ‘Crimes against international law are committed by men, not by abstract entities...’ International Tribunal, Nuremberg

14. In the Boardroom of BP

15. In the Boardroom of BP “So, how should we do business today?” “Let’s maximise returns on shareholder investment.” “I’ve heard the mining of the Athabasca Tar Sands is particularly lucrative…” “Wait a second – we can’t make our money from destroying the environment, it’s illegal. I don’t want to end up in prison. How about pursuing something a little more environmentally friendly?”

16. In the Boardroom of BP “So, how should we do business today?” “Let’s maximise returns on shareholder investment.” “I’ve heard the mining of the Athabasca Tar Sands is particularly lucrative…” “Wait a second – we can’t make our money from destroying the environment, it’s illegal. I don’t want to end up in prison. How about pursuing something a little more environmentally friendly?”

17. In the Boardroom of BP “So, how should we do business today?” “Well as business pursues that which is in the best interest of the Earth Community I think we should do something that’s ethical, environmental, sustainable, and financially viable…and let’s not forget that it’s against the law to do otherwise!”

18. Engendering a conceptual shift…

19. Inert Thing = Imposed Value $£€ = Commodity = Property Law/Ownership

20. Inert Thing = Imposed Value $£€ = Commodity = Property Law/Ownership Living Being = Intrinsic Value = Responsibility = Trusteeship/Guardianship

21. “An integral piece of the patchwork of measures needed to ensure the protection and flourishing of the Earth Community…”

22. THE CAMPAIGN

23. THE CAMPAIGN

24. Who else is out there… Wild Law UK UKYCC Campaign for Universal Declaration of Mother Earth Rights International Court for the Environment Earth Day Network Indigenous Environmental Network Tar Sands Network Pachamama Foundation Permaculture Movement Climate Week Our Children’s Trust Rainforest Action Network Platform UKELA Client Earth Campaign Against Climate Change LUSH Co-operative: No Toxic Fuels Campaign Citizenship Foundation The Hamilton Group Natural Capitalism …

25. THE CAMPAIGN What needs to happen? Of the 194 countries that make up the UN, 2/3 need to vote in favour of criminalizing Ecocide (n.b. the Rome Statute was last amended in 2010 when Crimes of Aggression were added)

26. THE CAMPAIGN What needs to happen? Of the 194 countries that make up the UN, 2/3 need to vote in favour of criminalizing Ecocide. When will this happen? From the 4th – 6th June 2012, the Earth Summit will be held in Rio de Janeiro.

27. THE CAMPAIGN What needs to happen? Of the 194 countries that make up the UN, 2/3 need to vote in favour of criminalizing Ecocide. When will this happen? From the 4th – 6th June 2012, the Earth Summit will be held in Rio de Janeiro. -- Key theme: ‘institutional framework for sustainable development.’ -- The system of globalgovernance for sustainable development.

28. THE CAMPAIGN What needs to happen? Of the 194 countries that make up the UN, 2/3 need to vote in favour of criminalizing Ecocide. When will this happen? From the 4th – 6th June 2012, the Earth Summit will be held in Rio de Janeiro. -- Key theme: ‘institutional framework for sustainable development.’ -- The system of globalgovernance for sustainable development. -- Why did the original Earth Summit fail?

29. THE CAMPAIGN Business Government Civil Society

30. THE CAMPAIGN Making the business case for eradicating ecocide “It’s like getting turkeys to vote for Christmas”

31. THE CAMPAIGN Making the business case for eradicating ecocide Charles Grant Became the Chairman of the British East India Company in 1805 The Slave Trade Act – “An Act for the abolition for the Abolition of the Slave Trade” – March, 1807

32. THE CAMPAIGN Making the business case for eradicating ecocide Charles Grant Became the Chairman of the British East India Company in 1805 The Slave Trade Act – “An Act for the abolition for the Abolition of the Slave Trade” – March, 1807

33. THE CAMPAIGN Making the business case for eradicating ecocide Charles Grant – CEO of the East India Company – who will be our Charles/Charlize/Gender Unspecified Grants? “If big business is onboard then they will be able to persuade government.” The need for enlightened enterprise. The recent MEP vote in the EU to not cut carbon dioxide emissions more stringently – an opportunity? A larger event in Parliament engaging key business leaders – a panel discussion. Getting ecocide onto the Earth Summit agenda – four days prior to political discussions will be a big tent event for NGOs and businesses.

34. THE CAMPAIGN Getting governments onboard Polly’s speaker engagements: New Zealand, Uganda, Australia, Brazil, South Africa (Durban, COP 17), Germany (Berlin Peace Conference), Scandinavia Who are the key political players to engage with – in this country (MPs, MEPs, Ministers etc), in other countries… How can we learn from other ongoing campaigns? E.g. Bolivia’s adoption of the law of Mother Earth Rights.

35. THE CAMPAIGN Engaging Civil Society NGOs, activists, indigenous peoples, lawyers, media, environmentalists, students, children, parents, faith groups, academics, general public etc Who else could we engage/get involved…Moving Planet, Climate Week, Earth Day? How can we learn from others? E.g. The campaign for a universal declaration of Mother Earth Rights – letter writing campaign to Heads of States

36. THE CAMPAIGN Mock Trial 30th September, 2011 at the Supreme Court A chance to engage all stakeholders

37. Entertain the possibility…

38. NGO’s receive funds from business and government to restore damaged people and planet Peace not war A resilient future is co-created Outcome: productive, co-operative and collaborative next-generation is provided for Business Leaders become legally responsible for ecocide caused by their company Earth living = love = intrinsic value = trusteeship Preventable ecocide halted eg. Yasuni Initiative Natural ecocide eg Maldives renewable, local and community-owned all business puts people, planet and peace first Legal Duty of Care on Nations to help territories hit by ecocide Strict Liability International crime Earth Rights eg. energy Earth community = all beings all business is green and Earth friendly United Nations Business Ecocide = 5th Crime Against Peace the flow of finance changes direction International Criminal Court The Law of Ecocide Banks investment can only go into non-ecocide projects and business International Court for the Environment Government No.1 = health and well-being of people and planet governance of the banks by the people: The People’s Bank ecocide outlawed clean, green, eco and ethical investment becomes the norm new laws for green society, business and banking empowering the community to make their own energy Earth care is number 1 priority: people, planet and peace Infrastructure prioritised: green travel, green healthcare, green education, free for all. green, long-term holistic policy becomes the norm Holistic healthcare: preventative, pro-active and treats causes at source Green jobs for all

39. local business and non-business community projects given equal priority as individual resilience builds, ill-health and disease recedes Earth Community Trusts: community health and well-being, based on the trust of the community more family, friends and leisure time part of closer, resilient and happy communities local living local food Local communities People fluid and free communities: freedom of movement and thought Local banks and local currency: skill swap and skill share local energy well being and good health for all Trust increases, social networks developed Responsible, aware, compassionate, sustainable Eradicating Ecocide For the Earth, With the Earth, Of the Earth compassion and love of the Earth encouraged and taught Earth Law understood and used by all Education Further Education: universities, colleges, guilds and all schools We are all one: realise we are all part of the Earth Community (interconnected and interdependent) Primary and Secondary Schools holistic learning: Earth centred teaching Earth care at the core of all learning health of people and planet: skills to care for our environment well-being of all: society at peace and at one with all beings people, planet and peace

40. “A human being is a part of a whole, called by us 'Universe', a part limited in time and space. We now experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest…a kind of optical delusion of our consciousness. This delusion is a prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of understanding and compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of Nature in her beauty”. Einstein • “The view of life presented by the most refined deductions of the intellectual philosophy, is that of unity…The difference is merely nominal between those two classes of thought which are vulgarly distinguished by the names of ideas and external objects. Pursuing the same thread of reasoning, the existence of distinct individual minds similar to that which is employed in now questioning its own nature, is likewise found to be a delusion. The words, I, you, they are not signs of any actual difference subsisting between the assemblages of thoughts thus indicated, but are merely marks employed to denote the different modifications of the one mind.” Percy Bysshe Shelley