Human Rights
The Commons and the Collective
- Publisher
- UBC Press
- Initial publish date
- Nov 2011
- Category
- Environmental, Environmental Conservation & Protection
-
Hardback
- ISBN
- 9780774821179
- Publish Date
- Nov 2011
- List Price
- $92.00
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9780774821186
- Publish Date
- Jul 2012
- List Price
- $34.95
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9780774821193
- Publish Date
- Nov 2011
- List Price
- $34.95
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Description
International law evolved to protect human rights. But what are human rights? Does the term have the same meaning in a world being transformed by climate change and globalized trade? Are existing laws sufficient to ensure humanity’s survival? Westra argues that international law privileges individual over collective rights, permitting multinational corporations to overlook the collective and the environment in their quest for wealth. Unless policy makers redefine human rights and reformulate environmental law to protect the preconditions for life itself – water, food, clean air, and biodiversity – humankind faces the complete loss of the ecological commons, one of our most basic human rights.
About the author
Contributor Notes
Laura Westra holds doctorates in both philosophy and jurisprudence, and has taught in the fields of philosophy, ethics, and environmental law at several US, Canadian, and Italian universities.