As federal environmental protections face, a base movement is gaining strength in the United States, focusing on environmental adjustments instead of policies. Maya Van Rossum, environmental lawyer and founder of the green amendments for the movement of generations, returns to Sustainability in your ear Discuss the response of the states to the cuts to the federal environmental regulations. Maya explains how constitutional amendments at the state level are redefining environmental protection as an inalienable right, similar to freedom of expression. She describes the importance of constitutional change to achieve genuine environmental justice, the necessary steps to mobilize community support and how rights -based environmental movements are establishing a sustainable future.
For more than a decade, Maya has headed this initiative, successfully approving green amendments in Pennsylvania, Montana and New York. Currently, more than 20 states, including Oregon, are contemplating similar amendments. The discussion also addresses the recent rally in the Capitol of the State of Oregon, which showed the impulse behind the right to an amendment of healthy environment (SJR28) and means the evolutionary role of the base environmental defense. Unlike the typical legislation that can be reversed with changing political climates, green amendments establish essential protections for clean air, water and climate at the constitutional level. This framework provides citizens with communities a solid legal basis for challenging polluting and safeguarding the environment for future generations, individual periods of political regression. For more information about the movement of the green amendment and track the developments throughout the country, visit the generations.org
