The rights you might not realize you have - Shannon Odell

翻译人员: Rana Al kilaney 校对人员: suya f.

Since 2015, an unprecedented movement has been sweeping courts around the world.

自2015年以来，

一场前所未有的运动席卷了 世界各地的法院。

Groups of young plaintiffs, some as young as 7,

一群年轻的原告， 有些年仅 7 岁，

are suing their governments for their inaction on tackling climate change.

正在起诉他们的政府 在应对气候变化方面无所作为。

For example, in the winter of 2018,

例如，在 2018 年冬天， 包括土著青年在内的

25 young Colombians, including Indigenous youths,

25 名哥伦比亚年轻人

sued their government for failing to reduce deforestation in the Amazon

起诉他们的政府， 理由是他们未能减少亚马逊

and falling short on climate promises.

的森林砍伐， 也没有兑现气候承诺。

This suit, as well as others,

该诉讼以及其他诉讼

argued that destructive environmental policies

辩称，破坏性的环境政策

put the plaintiffs’ current and future lives at risk.

使原告的当前和未来 生活处于危险之中。

Climate inaction violates their basic human rights—

不采取气候行动侵犯了 他们的基本人权，

specifically the right to a healthy environment, health, food, and water.

特别是享有健康，环境， 健康，食物和水的权利。

But what do human rights have to do with the environment?

但是人权与环境有什么关系？

Do you have the right to breathe clean air?

你有权呼吸干净的空气吗？

To live in a world with white rhinos, polar bears, and lemur leaf frogs?

生活在一个有白犀牛、 北极熊和狐猴叶蛙的世界里？

What about the right to mangroves and coral reefs?

那红树林和珊瑚礁的权利呢？

The first international document to outline human rights

在以无数暴行

was adopted by the newly-formed United Nations in 1948,

和野蛮行为

against the backdrop of two world wars marked by countless atrocities

的两次世界大战的背景下， 新成立的联合国于 1948 年通过了

and barbaric acts.

第一份概述人权的国际文件。

This document, known as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

这份被称为 《世界人权宣言》

or UDHR,

（UDHR）的文件，

describes the inherent freedoms that belong to all people,

描述了属于所有人的固有自由，

no matter who they are or where they live, and which can't be granted or revoked.

无论他们是谁或生活在哪里， 这些自由不能被授予或撤销。

It establishes rights like freedom of thought,

它确立了思想自由等权利、

political liberties like the right to a fair trial,

公平审判权类的政治自由

and socioeconomic and cultural rights,

和社会经济和文化权利

like the right to adequate housing and healthcare.

比如适当住房权和医疗保健权。

While the UDHR itself is non-binding,

虽然《世界人权宣言》 本身并不具有约束力，

its formation gave people an internationally recognized set

但它的形成为人们提供了一套国际公认

of ethics and standards,

的道德和标准，

and laid the foundation for human rights law.

并为人权法奠定了基础。

And since 1948, these liberties have been woven into international treaties,

自 1948 年以来， 这些自由已被纳入国际条约，

constitutions, and laws,

宪法和法律，

meaning that countries have opted to uphold and protect them.

这意味着各国选择维护和保护它们。

As a result, countless individual human rights struggles and movements

结果，无数个人的 人权斗争和运动

have been granted legitimacy and a legal basis for pursuing justice.

获得了伸张正义的合法 性和法律基础。

The UDHR makes no mention of nature, biodiversity, or climate.

《世界人权宣言》没有提及 自然、生物多样性或气候。

These rights, instead, first took hold at the national level.

相反，这些权利首先在国家一级确立。

Many countries within the Global South,

全球南方的许多国家

often influenced by Indigenous laws and worldviews,

经常受到土著法律 和世界观的影响，将健康环境权

incorporated the right to a healthy environment into their constitutions

纳入其宪法

and regional treaties.

和区域条约。

Soon, human rights advocates were calling on the rest of the world

很快，人权倡导者呼吁世界

and the United Nations to recognize this right as well.

其他国家和联合国也承认这项权利。

Many argued that the very principles of the UDHR

许多人认为， 《世界人权宣言》的原则本身

depend on access to healthy ecosystems.

取决于能否获得健康的生态系统。

Each year, millions of people die from air and water pollution.

每年都有数百万人死 于空气和水污染。

Declining pollinator populations threaten basic food security.

授粉者数量的减少 威胁到基本的粮食安全。

And the loss of coastal habitats has left millions exposed to greater risks

沿海栖息地的丧失使 数百万人面临

from destructive floods and hurricanes.

更大的破坏性洪水和飓风的风险。

Protecting this right is more urgent now than ever before.

现在，保护这项权利 比以往任何时候都更加紧迫。

Climate change is causing more frequent heatwaves, longer droughts,

气候变化导致 更频繁的热浪、更长的干旱

and more destructive wildfires.

和更具破坏性的野火。

Without rapid and significant change, the planet is at risk of mass extinction,

如果没有迅速而重大的变化，

地球将面临大规模 灭绝的危险，到 2100 年，

which could wipe out a quarter of the world’s biodiversity by 2100.

大规模灭绝可能会消灭世界 四分之一的生物多样性。

Such losses to natural ecosystems would likely have disastrous knockoff effects,

自然生态系统的这种损失 可能会产生灾难性的连锁反应，

further threatening food supplies, destroying livelihoods,

进一步威胁粮食供应，破坏生计，

and leaving humanity more vulnerable to disease.

使人类更容易受到疾病的侵害。

Thankfully, momentum is building.

值得庆幸的是，势头正在增强。

Today, over 150 countries and jurisdictions

今天，超过 150 个 国家和司法管辖区

have enshrined the right to a healthy environment into national legislation.

已将健康环境权纳入国家立法。

On April 5th, 2018,

2018 年 4 月 5 日， 哥伦比亚最高法院

the Colombian Supreme Court ruled in favor of the young plaintiffs,

作出有利于年轻原告的裁决，

finding that the government was legally obliged to reduce deforestation

认定政府有法律义务减少森林砍伐

and greenhouse gas emissions

和温室气体排放，

in order to protect the rights of present and future generations.

以保护当代人和子孙后代的权利。

This case and similar historic wins by young people

该案以及年轻

in the courts of the Netherlands, Germany, and the US

人在荷兰， 德国和美国法院 取得的类似历史性胜利

has inspired others to take up the cause.

激发了其他人参与这一事业。

As of the summer of 2023,

截至 2023 年夏天，

a wave of more than 2,000 human rights-based environmental cases

全球已经提起了 2,000 多起

have been filed across the globe.

基于人权的环境案件。

And this number is likely to grow.

而且这个数字可能会增加。

In 2022, an overwhelming majority of UN General Assembly states came together

2022 年，绝大多数 联合国大会国家齐聚一堂

to keep human rights aligned to a changing world

通过承认享有清洁、 健康和可持续环境的权利，

by recognizing the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.

使人权与不断变化的世界保持一致。

It will take unprecedented global cooperation

要减少温室气体排放，

to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, stop deforestation,

停止毁林和保持水道清洁，

and keep our waterways clean.

将需要前所未有的全球合作。

These court cases are a powerful first step to hold governments accountable

这些法庭案件是追究政府责任

and to give future generations a better chance to breathe clean air,

并让子孙后代有更好的机会 呼吸清洁空气的有力第一步，

and live in a world with white rhinos, polar bears, and coral reefs

并在未来几年生活在一个 有白犀牛，北极熊和珊瑚礁

for years to come.

的世界中。