A Valentine’s card to the Earth donated by artists might seem a bit schlocky, even if cynicism is not the appropriate emotion on Valentine's Day. This is, however, no woolly-headed stunt, but part of dynamic lawyer Polly Higgins’s serious and - who knows - possibly achievable campaign to raise the profile of her efforts to turn “ecocide” into a recognised crime, one with which individuals and corporations can be prosecuted.
The campaign is getting some traction, Higgins having recently met with the likes of Evo Morales in Bolivia and ex-President Clinton in the United States. She is at the cutting edge of a new legal body called “Earth Law”, which also incorporates the Universal Declaration of Earth Rights. The aim at the Earth Summit this June in Rio is to make Earth law, consisting of an Ecocide law and Earth Rights.
The Valentine Love Letters to the Earth feature art and designs (see image left, by Nicola Peel) donated by artists from around the world, contributing work for the Love Letter to the Earth site in a wide variety of styles: from traditional Australian Aboriginal painting to digital images created on an iPhone.
Says Polly Higgins: “This is a campaign that is gathering momentum around the world. Now is the time for us to let our leaders know that we love the Earth and we want new laws to protect people and planet.”
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