The Environmental Rights Revolution

The right to a healthy environment has been the subject of extensivephilosophical debates that revolve around the question: Should rightsto clean air, water, and soil be entrenched in law. David Boyd answersthis by moving beyond theoretical debate to measure the practicaleffects of enshrining the right in constitutions. His pioneeringanalysis of 193 constitutions and the laws and court decisions of morethan 100 nations in Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa reveals apositive correlation between constitutional protection and strongerenvironmental laws, smaller ecological footprints, superiorenvironmental performance, and improved quality of life.