Dr. Peter Doran:

I have an interest in this. If we are to have a serious conversation about rights of nature and the right to a healthy environment at the domestic level, it would be consistent for us to be projecting support for the crime of ecocide in the international sphere. On the domestic side one is projecting one's seriousness in terms of identifying ecocide as a crime.

Dr. Ryall was correct to say that rights were just the beginning. We must also think about enforcement. However, I suggest that we step back from the language of rights a little and think about the backstory and from where these ideas are coming. That backstory is, in part, our story. These are not exotic ideas that are being imported, especially about the rights of nature.

I would love to end by citing the Burren document that came from last week's workshop on the Irish language and ecology. According to it, the Irish language inhabits an Earth-based cosmology that puts humans in their proper place while respecting the feminine; everything is connected in this inherently systemic understanding of the world; this inner knowing is where the treasure resides and it is time to reconnect and protect it; and language, tradition, music, biodiversity and the environment are all inextricably intertwined and share a common experience of loss. This goes back to the notion of taking ownership of our responsibilities and duties within a new frame and no longer viewing the matter as the EU imposing things. This is us and our story.