| The courage of our voices Dear friend, One of my all-time heroines is Rachel Carson - a woman who spoke up for the Earth without fear. She was a whistleblower. In the couse of her work she had investigated hundreds of individual incidents of pesticide exposure and the human and non-human damage that resulted. Her findings exposed the magnitude of this hidden ecocide. If the courage of a single human voice can be measured by the ferocity of the attempts to silence it, she stands as a truth-teller of exceptional courage and insight. Her book, Silent Spring, exposed the underbelly of the chemical industry. That was 50 years ago and I have the honour to be the annual speaker at the Rachel Carson Memorial lecture. Carson's legacy is her work, which changed the world. More than that, she has inspired many others to stand up and speak out on behalf of the Earth. For me - and I am sure for so many people - Rachel Carson is a remarkable woman who I look to as a source of wisdom. She spoke from the heart. | |
Fierce green fires of California and beyond I have just returned to London after a wonderful and very important trip to California (following Canada and Colorado), where so many amazing people threw themselves into the message of Ecocide and the great change we need. An enormous thank you to all the very special people I met and who made the trip possible. Meanwhile my team have also been in Stroud where another incredible group of people have come together to be the change, a great thank you to Trish who took it upon herself to organise an exceptional event. | |
 | | Here are some of the San Francisco team; you were all phenomenal - thank you! It was great to spend time with you all and to meet some of the most innovative thinkers and do-ers in the US. Thanks to you all at 333 for hosting a truly memorable event with Bill Twist. Creating transformative experiences is what thePachamama Alliance does best - and our event was indeed that. | |
| |  | | In conversation with the whistleblower of the Pentagon Papers, Dan Ellsberg - the prolific writer and activist on the dangers of the nuclear era, wrongful U.S. interventions and the urgent need for patriotic whistleblowing. | |
| |  | | Before speaking in San Francisco's Cowell Theatre with Paul Hawken, dinner with friends was truly special. It paved the way for a very inspiring night, with filmamkers and Paul - all voices for the Earth. Paul Hawken is founder ofWiser Earth, author of Blessed Unrest and The Ecology of Commerce - and a voice that has and continues to inspire many. | |
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Our legacy One of the films I saw in the States was A Fierce Green Fire. Mark Kitchell has created one of those films that when you see it you ask 'why has this not been done before?' It is a film that tells the history of the environmental movement and it sets out 5 chapters. There is a missing chapter and that is what happens next - which means we get to choose the ending. What is it to be? An era of ecocide or the beginning of something new, where people and planet are put first. To do that we shall have to change the rules, and create laws that place the sacredness of life at the heart of all we do. What happens next is up to us. The possibility for a better world is there - we can all stand up and give voice for the Earth and say what we believe is best, for people and planet. Never before has civilisation had the potential to come together as we do now, to spread ideas so fast and to rally for the Earth. Mark Kitchell kindly invited me to speak after his screenings of A Fierce Green Fire, to speak as one of the voices of the next chapter. It's the next chapter that is so exciting; we now have the potential to leave a legacy and create the world we want. | |
Gorbachev says there must be an international court for ecological crimes More interesting news: in an interview withLe Monde this week, Gorbachev was asked: "You talk a lot about education, but for years that you hold this discourse, the state of the world has not improved. Should it come to a policy of coercion?" Gorbachev replied: "Yes. I would personally be very favorable to the creation of an international tribunal to judge those who are guilty of environmental crimes, as well as business leaders of Heads of State or Government. This court should obviously accurately define the status, rules, skills." Can you write to Mikhail Gorbachev, thank him for his leadershop on this issue, and ask him to call for a crime of Ecocide too? It fits so well with his proposal for an international court. You can write to him at the address of his foundation.  
These are exciting times, with more and more happening around the world. Thank you for everything you are doing. With all our courageous voices speaking together we can do this, we can make Ecocide a crime - and create the beautiful new world we are all seeking. With hope and gratitude, Polly Polly Higgins
Lawyer for the Earth P.S. Please do forward this email to anyone you know who might be interested. | |
The People's Declaration Did you know that the first ever international Charter begins with the words 'We the People'? Here is a document by we the people which has a new set of laws (some already in existence, some proposed, some yet to be written) for a world that places people and planet first. Read full document here | |
Finalist, Most Inspirational Leader award The Climate Week Awards were announced on Monday - and one of the finalists for the Most Inspirational Leader was Polly. Although she couldn't make the event, having just returned from the States, Joe and the rest of our team headed over to meet other inspirational leaders. | |
| | Rio+20 Earth Summit - time to change the narrative What we need at the June meeting is action – not voluntary pledges and empty goals. Phil England of Occupy London looks ahead and proposes ecocide, earth rights and planetary boundaries. Read full articlehere | |
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