Eradicating Ecocide Exposing the Corporate and Political Practices Destroying the Planet and Proposing the Laws to Eradicate Ecocide

About this book

In Eradicating Ecocide, international environment lawyer and Ecocide law expert Polly Higgins sets out to demonstrate how our planet is fast being destroyed by the activities of corporations and governments, facilitated by 'compromise' laws that offer insufficient deterrence. She offers a solution that is radical yet pragmatic and, as she explains, necessary. Starting with the Mexican Gulf oil spill, a compelling reminder of the consequences of un-checked ecocide, Higgins advocates the introduction of an international Ecocide law. As the missing 5th Crime Against Peace it would hold to account heads of corporate bodies who are found guilty of perpetrating ecocide. The opportunity to implement this law represents a crossroads in the fate of humanity; we can accept this one change and in doing so save our ecosystem for future generations, or we can continue to destroy it, risking future brutal war over disappearing natural resources. This is the first book to examine the power of law to change everything. Higgins provides context by presenting examples of laws in other countries and in earlier times in history which have succeeded in curtailing the power of governments, corporations and banks and have triggered change. Eradicating Ecocide is a crash course on what laws work, what doesn't, and what else is required to prevent the ever escalating destruction. Eradicating Ecocide provides a comprehensive overview of what is required in law in order to prevent ecocide. It is a book unlike any other; based on a principle of 'first do no harm', it applies equally to global as well as smaller communities and anyone who is involved in decision-making. The second edition includes amendments and corrections as well as bringing the book up to date.

Contents

Note to the Second Edition
Introduction

Part 1: How Law Caused the Commercial Takeover of the World
1 Taking Stock
2 Massacre of the Innocents
3 Telling the Truth about the Birds and the Bees

Part 2: Protecting our Oikos
4. Principles to Protect our Oikos

Part 3: Eradicating Ecocide
5 Ecocide: the 5th Crime Against Peace
6 The Sacred Trust of Civilization
7 Holding Business to Account
8 Environmental Sustainability
9 New Developments

Part 4: Towards a Living Planet
10 The Commanding Voice of the People

Epilogue
Notes
Index

Customer Reviews

Biography

Polly Higgins is a barrister and international environmental lawyer who demystifies our environmental crises from a legal perspective. Advocating a crime of ecocide – 'extensive damage, destruction to or loss of ecosystems' she has one basic overriding tenet, first do no harm. The Ecologist Magazine voted her one of the 'Worlds Top 10 Visionary Thinkers', and she has been nominated 'The Lawyer for Planet Earth' by the 2010 Performance Awards.