The need for an 'ECOCIDE' law to make human-made environmental catastrophes illegal

[G_j]

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/08/23-4

Published on Tuesday, August 23, 2011 by Our World 2.0 and Guardian/UK

How an Ecocide Law Could Prevent Another Nigerian Oil Disaster

Shell's admission of liability for oil spills in Nigeria highlights the need for an 'ecocide' law to make human-made environmental catastrophes illegal
by Robert Holtom


After years of struggle, Shell is finally being held legally accountable for the damage it has caused in the Niger delta where it is estimated up to 10 million gallons of oil has been leaked.


A class action lawsuit originating in London forced the Dutch oil giant to accept full responsibility for the 2008 ruptures of the Bodo-Bonny trans-Niger pipeline. Together the Ivorian community and a London law firm have forced the energy company to take responsibility for its actions.

This precedent is cause for great celebration. However, one thing this law case cannot accomplish is to undo the decades of social and environmental injustice caused to the Niger Delta's communities and natural environment.

Whilst a wrong is being redressed it appears that the law is being used reactively. It will be decades before the Niger Delta is returned to anything like it used to be. This highlights how we also need something proactive, something that pre-empts the large-scale destruction of the environment and stops it from happening. In essence, we need to make such human-made catastrophe illegal.

Ecocide is defined as 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".

..more..

[sinkingfeeling]

1. I'd go for that since corporations are people, there should be laws that equate to murder for them.

Just read a story about hundreds of thousands of dead fish in a Louisiana river caused by a paper mill.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44233663/ns/us_news-environment/

[Octafish]

2. Great idea -- not just Big Oil needs to be held accountable...

...consider the role of the Big Chemical, they've added all sorts of things to make the environment a dangerous place for humans and other life.

Bill Moyers talked about it: The Chemical Body Burden

[Karenina]

3. Economic "growth"=Ecocide

Until that equation is rewritten, NO CHANCE. In my cyberspace stroll today, I did come across an article accusing Shell of setting fires to the areas they may be forced to clean up.