People sometimes refer to the Earth as an inheritance that passes from each generation to the next. There is some truth in this, but it misses something important. A child who inherits nothing nonetheless stands a decent chance of surviving, but no human generation can survive without an intact biosphere. That makes the Earth much more important than any inheritance and therefore makes it substantially more unethical to squander for short-term enjoyment.
Author: Milan
In the spring of 2005, I graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in International Relations and a general focus in the area of environmental politics. In the fall of 2005, I began reading for an M.Phil in IR at Wadham College, Oxford.
Outside school, I am very interested in photography, writing, and the outdoors. I am writing this blog to keep in touch with friends and family around the world, provide a more personal view of graduate student life in Oxford, and pass on some lessons I've learned here.
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Texas judge rules atmosphere, air to be protected like water, may aid climate change lawsuits
HOUSTON — A Texas judge has ruled that the atmosphere and air must be protected for public use, just like water, which could help attorneys tasked with arguing climate change lawsuits designed to force states to cut emissions.
The written ruling, issued in a letter Monday by Texas District Court Judge Gisela Triana, shot down arguments by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that only water is a “public trust,” a doctrine that dates to the Roman Empire stating a government must protect certain resources — usually water, sometimes wildlife — for the common good.