We have nothing to fear but green itself - Orange Punch - OCRegister.com

In Ecuador they’ve approved a new constitution giving “nature” the same rights as human beings.

In Switzerland they have a constitutional amendment that led to a mandate not to “disturb the vital functions or lifestyle” of plants.

Ecuador and Switzerland are a tad unusual, but not entirely so.

“Spain will be granting human rights to all 350 apes in its territory,” writes Thomas Szyszkiewicz. “Switzerland is telling farmers not to lop flowers off as they return from mowing their fields since those flowers have a right to exist as they are. The European Court of Human Rights will be hearing a case that could grant a chimpanzee the status of a person in Austria. And in an editorial watching amusedly as Ecuador begins its grand experiment, the Los Angeles Times reported that Australia, Italy, South Africa, and Nepal (which is also in the midst of writing a constitution) have all started looking at similar juridic person provisions.”

This misplaced reverance that bestows on animals and plants rights our constitution reserves for humans has its own perverse logic.

“In June, about 35 members of a group opposed to the genetic modification of crops, invaded the test field” where scientists were trying to make wheat resistant to disease, writes Gautam Naik. “Clad in white overalls and masks, they scythed and trampled the plants, causing plenty of damage.”

“They just cut them,” says molecular biiolagist Dr. Beat Keller, gesturing to wheat stumps left in the field. “Where’s the dignity in that?”

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