What’s it all about?
Could Earth law be an antidote to the unsustainability of our age? Join us for an engaging discussion on cutting edge legal approaches to the environmental crisis.
What will we cover?
Earth Law is an emerging body of law that recognises that the Earth has natural limits and boundaries. Earth Law aims to ensure that the integrity of the Earth system – the land, oceans, plants, animals and the planet as a whole – is maintained, securing the wellbeing of the whole Earth community.
This class and discussion will start with an introduction to Earth system science, Gaia theory and Earth system ethics before exploring the development of novel legal approaches to protect the Earth system and our environment, from threats such as climate change, and geoengineering.
Who will be teaching?
Laura Ballantyne-Brodie is an Australian environmental and climate change lawyer. Laura has worked in New York and Australia, where she advised a number of international organisations, governments and not-for-profit groups. Laura was previously the Director of the World Energy Council of Australia (2008-2013), where she was involved in energy policy research and advocacy in Australia and globally. She then lectured at Yale University, in a course she developed on climate change and disaster law. Laura is now based at the Environmental Health Clinic at the Steinhardt School of Education and Human Development at New York University, and Wagner School of Public Service. Her research has culminated in the development of an emerging systems approach to ethics called Earth system ethics.
On top of all that, she leads an environmental not-for-profit organisation called Rent the World, an organisation that advocates an understanding of Earth as a shared home to humanity, and countless other non-human species.