A proposal to create a “Watersheds Bill of Rights” has qualified for the Lane County ballot to be voted on this May. Measure 20-373 aims to give watersheds, ecosystems and wildlife the right to “naturally exist, flourish, regenerate and evolve." It would also grant people the right to clean and affordable water. Under this proposal, a person could sue a business, corporation or government for infringing on these rights.

This ballot proposal raises important philosophical questions about our relationship to the environment and whether we have certain obligations to be stewards of the natural world. Do watersheds, for example, have “an inherent right to exist, flourish, regenerate and naturally evolve for their own sake”? Or should the concept of inherent rights only be applied to humans – as in the right to life, liberty and justice? What should be done when the rights of watersheds collide with the rights of property owners and corporations who impact these watersheds?

To help us understand the concept of “rights of nature”, we will be joined by Craig Kauffman, Professor of Political Science at the U.O. Come join in this timely discussion linking civic action with environmental ethics.