As we approach the Winter Solstice we come to reflect on the year that has been and what might be to come. We have a new UK government facing many challenges, but its central plank of increased house building has led to concerning rhetoric on newts and bats and blockers. For those of us working on the front line of assisting communities to defend the nature they love, it sounds like this may become more challenging. There appears to be a move to take decision making powers away from communities and local government, but centralised decision making is not compatible with good local democracy, better local consultation and, ultimately, nature’s recovery. What we do to nature we do to ourselves. As we often turn to poetry, the words of Gerard Manley Hopkins send warning down the ages:
“O if we but knew what we do
When we delve and hew.
Hack and rack the growing green”
He would little recognise nature-denuded landscape that is our inheritance. Sadly, our abusive relationship with nature continues unabated. Working in the environmental law field, at the intersection between law and nature where the few actual nature protections that exist are fought over constantly, it can feel like an uphill struggle.
For hope ELF looks to the growing global nature rights movement, an area of work that ELF has dedicated a lot of time to this year, seeking ways to permeate nature’s rights into local governance. Part of a growing dynamic network working to progress rights of nature in the UK, we see the spring of guardian river communities flourishing for example. ELF values its position in this paradigm shift in legal jurisprudence that is taking place, where nature is recognised as having rights, such as the intrinsic right to exist. Comparable to those of human rights, or the rights of a company or indeed a ship!
Watch this space in 2025.
Emma Montlake
Co-Director, ELF
