When a river is a person: from Ecuador to New Zealand, nature gets its day in court
New Zealand just conferred personhood upon the Whanganui River, giving it standing to legally defend its rights. Can this novel strategy save the environment?
Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Articles on Environmental law
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Around the world, environmental laws are under attack in all sorts of ways
Legislation designed to protect wildlife is being rolled back or ignored in all sorts of ways in all sorts of places, according to a new global database of attacks on green tape.
Court ruling is a first step toward controlling air pollution from livestock farms
Large livestock farms, known as CAFOs, have polluted air and water in many communities. A recent court decision will force CAFOs to report their air emissions from manure and other sources.
The Great Barrier Reef’s safety net is becoming more complex but less effective
The Great Barrier Reef is in crisis, as a second wave of coral bleaching hits. But the system of bodies and laws that protect it are getting more complicated – and less productive.
After 25 years of trying, why aren’t we environmentally sustainable yet?
Why, after decades of international agreements, are we still damaging the environment? New research, looking at dozens of unsuccessful policies, has uncovered the basic elements of failure.
EU wildlife laws should be celebrated – and retained – not treated as red tape
Some Brexiteers see EU withdrawal as an excuse to weaken environmental protections.
Three rivers are now legally people – but that’s just the start of looking after them
New Zealand's Whanganui River and the Ganga and Yamuna Rivers in India have been given the right to 'sue' over issues like pollution. The challenge now is to ensure these legal rights are enforced.
What Trump misses about regulations: They produce benefits as well as costs
President Trump has ordered federal agencies to cut two regulations for every new one they enact – ignoring the fact that many regulations produce large social benefits.
Can legal activist Scott Pruitt undo clean air and water protections as head of EPA?
Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has sued the federal government repeatedly. If he becomes head of EPA and tries to weaken environmental laws, opponents are likely to do the same to him.
Carmichael mine jumps another legal hurdle, but litigants are making headway
Queensland's Supreme Court has backed the state government's decision to approve the proposed Carmichael coal mine. But environmental groups have scored some key legal points on climate considerations.
Turnbull wants to change Australia’s environment act - here’s what we stand to lose
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's proposed changes to Australia's national environment act will significantly reduce judicial oversight on environmental decisions. Here's why that matters.
Australia’s coal politics are undermining democratic and Indigenous rights
Can Australia achieve fair and open decision-making and a just and sustainable energy transition when big coal players are involved?
Why the International Criminal Court is right to focus on the environment
But criminal sanctions alone aren't enough. We also have to make individuals and firms financially liable for their actions.
Politics for the planet: why nature and wildlife need their own seats at the UN
The world has global authorities for trade and security, but not for threats to the environment. It's time the natural world got its own version of the World Trade Organisation or UN Security Council.
No to rehab? The mining downturn risks making mine clean-ups even more of an afterthought
Rehabilitating old mines is a crucial responsibility for the industry. But many Australian mine sites have been simply left alone or left for the taxpayer to fix.
The Carmichael mine lease shows that decisions on coal need a much wider perspective
The granting of a mining lease to the Carmichael coal project, despite the huge potential greenhouse emissions, shows that ministers need to consider the wider consequences of their approvals.
Supreme Court sides with EPA on cleaning Chesapeake Bay – and perhaps other waterways
In its first environmental case post-Scalia, the Supreme Court rebuffs farm and ranching interests that opposed the EPA's multistate plan to restore Chesapeake Bay using the Clean Water Act.
What Scalia’s death means for environment and climate
A look at Scalia's decidedly negative legacy on environment reveals how important the next Supreme Court will be on environmental questions, including the EPA Clean Power Plan.
Will anyone be prosecuted in the Flint water crisis?
Many observers have called for criminal prosecutions in Flint, Michigan's water crisis. A law professor with experience in federal and state government reviews the laws that may have been broken.
There’s no precedent for stopping the Carmichael coal mine, but we should
Activists want the Carmichael mine stopped. But what does the law say?
Top contributors
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Adjunct researcher, Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland
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Director of the Centre for Energy and Natural Resources Law, Deakin Law School, Deakin University
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Lecturer, University of Melbourne
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Research Fellow, Deakin University
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PhD Candidate, GPEM, The University of Queensland
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Professor of Climate and Environmental Law, University of Sydney
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Honorary Fellow in Economics, The University of Queensland
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Botanist, University of Queensland, The University of Queensland
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Lecturer in Law, The University of Queensland
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Professor of Law, Vermont Law School
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Associate Professor ANU College of Law and Associate Director of the ANU Centre for Climate Law and Policy, Australian National University
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Professor & Director, Centre for Marine Futures, University of Western Australia
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Emeritus Professor, School of Science, Griffith University
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Minter Ellison Climate Change Scholar, Queensland University of Technology
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Adjunct Professor, Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland
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