David R. Boyd

“Ecuador’s 2008 constitution also includes extremely detailed provisions about the environmental laws, policies, and programs needed to fulfill these ambitious goals. For example, the constitution prohibits genetically modified organisms (GMOs) from being used in agriculture, clarifies that access to safe drinking water is a fundamental human right, and emphasizes the importance of sustainable modes of transportation, going so far as to mandate that bicycle lanes be given priority in urban areas.”
― David R. Boyd, The Rights of Nature: A Legal Revolution That Could Save the World

“For example, in 2004, following a lengthy dispute about discharging sewage wastewater into the Whanganui River, New Zealand’s Environment Court ruled that “one needs to understand the culture of the Whanganui River iwi [tribe] to realize how deeply engrained the saying ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au [I am the river, and the river is me] is to those who have connections to the river. Their spirituality is their ‘connectedness’ to the river. To take away part of the river is to take away part of the iwi. To desecrate the water is to desecrate the iwi. To pollute the water is to pollute the people.”
― David R. Boyd, The Rights of Nature: A Legal Revolution That Could Save the World