The rights you might not realize you have - Shannon Odell

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Zoe Walmsley

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

2015 年開始，

一場前所未見的運動 橫掃全球的法庭。

Groups of young plaintiffs, some as young as 7,

年輕的原告集結起來， 最小的年齡才七歲，

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

控告他們的政府 對處理氣候變遷無所作為。

For example, in the winter of 2018,

比如，2018 年冬天，

25 young Colombians, including Indigenous youths,

二十五名哥倫比亞年輕人， 包括原住民青年，

sued their government for failing to reduce deforestation in the Amazon

控告他們的政府沒能減少 亞馬遜的森林砍伐，

and falling short on climate promises.

以及沒有兌現氣候承諾。

This suit, as well as others,

這場訴訟以及其他訴訟

argued that destructive environmental policies

主張破壞環境的政策

put the plaintiffs’ current and future lives at risk.

讓原告目前和未來的生活處於風險中。

Climate inaction violates their basic human rights—

不採取氣候行動就是違反 他們的基本人權──

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

明確來說，享有健康的環境、 健康、食物，及飲水的權利。

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

但人權和環境有什麼關係？

Do you have the right to breathe clean air?

你有呼吸乾淨空氣的權利嗎？

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

有權利生活在有白犀牛、北極熊， 和狐猴紅眼樹蛙的世界嗎？

What about the right to mangroves and coral reefs?

那紅樹林和珊瑚礁呢？

The first international document to outline human rights

第一份概述人權的國際文件

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

在 1948 年由剛成立的聯合國通過，

against the backdrop of two world wars marked by countless atrocities

當時世界經歷了兩場世界大戰，

以及數不清的暴行和野蠻行為。

and barbaric acts.

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

這份文件被稱為「世界人權宣言」，

or UDHR,

簡稱 UDHR，

describes the inherent freedoms that belong to all people,

記載了所有的人與生俱來的自由，

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

不論種族、地域，所有的人 都該擁有不被剝奪的自由。

It establishes rights like freedom of thought,

它確立的權利包括思想自由、

political liberties like the right to a fair trial,

政治自由，如受到公平審判的權利，

and socioeconomic and cultural rights,

以及社會經濟和文化權利，

like the right to adequate housing and healthcare.

如取得適當住房和健康照護的權利。

While the UDHR itself is non-binding,

雖然 UDHR 本身沒有約束力，

its formation gave people an internationally recognized set

但它的制訂給了大家 一套國際認可的

of ethics and standards,

倫理和標準，

and laid the foundation for human rights law.

也為人權法律奠定基礎。

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

從 1948 年以來，

這些自由權利已經被納入到國際條約、

constitutions, and laws,

憲法，和法律中，

meaning that countries have opted to uphold and protect them.

意味著各國都選擇 支持和保護這些自由權利。

As a result, countless individual human rights struggles and movements

因此，無數的個人人權奮鬥和運動

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

都有了正當理由 以及追求正義的法律基礎。

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

UDHR 並沒提到大自然、 生物多樣性，或氣候，

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

這些權利最早出現在國家層級。

Many countries within the Global South,

全球南方的許多國家

often influenced by Indigenous laws and worldviews,

通常因為原住民法律和世界觀的影響，

incorporated the right to a healthy environment into their constitutions

將享有健康環境的權利整合到

憲法和地區性條約中。

and regional treaties.

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

沒多久，人權倡導者 就呼籲世界上的其他地方

and the United Nations to recognize this right as well.

以及聯合國也要認可這項權利。

Many argued that the very principles of the UDHR

許多人認為 UDHR 的原則

depend on access to healthy ecosystems.

需要有健康的生態系統才能成立。

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

每一年，數百萬人死於空氣和水汙染。

Declining pollinator populations threaten basic food security.

授粉昆蟲數量減少 威脅到基本的糧食安全。

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

喪失沿海棲息地

也讓數百萬人面臨更大的風險，

from destructive floods and hurricanes.

被毀滅性的洪水和颶風威脅。

Protecting this right is more urgent now than ever before.

保護這項權利從未如此迫切。

Climate change is causing more frequent heatwaves, longer droughts,

氣候變遷造成更頻繁的熱浪、

更長的乾旱，和更具毀滅性的野火。

and more destructive wildfires.

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

若不快速做出重大的改變，

地球正面臨物種大規模滅絕的風險，

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

到 2100 年時，全世界的物種 可能會少掉四分之一。

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

這種自然生態系統的損失，

極可能進一步帶動災難性的連鎖效應，

further threatening food supplies, destroying livelihoods,

進一步威脅糧食供應、摧毀生計，

and leaving humanity more vulnerable to disease.

讓全體人類更容易受疾病侵害。

Thankfully, momentum is building.

謝天謝地，大家正在動起來。

Today, over 150 countries and jurisdictions

現今，有超過 150 個國家和地區

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

已將享有健康環境的權利 納入國家法律。

On April 5th, 2018,

2018 年四月五日，

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

哥倫比亞最高法院裁定年輕原告勝訴，

finding that the government was legally obliged to reduce deforestation

因為政府於法必須 減少森林砍伐及溫室氣體排放，

and greenhouse gas emissions

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

以保護當前和未來世代的權利。

This case and similar historic wins by young people

除了這個，類似的年輕人勝訴的案例

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

在荷蘭、德國，和美國也都發生過，

has inspired others to take up the cause.

鼓舞了其他人也起身支持此理念。

As of the summer of 2023,

截至 2023 年夏天，

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

這波風潮造成全球各地有兩千多件

以人權為基礎的環境訴訟案。

have been filed across the globe.

And this number is likely to grow.

且這個數字可能還會再增加。

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

2022 年，

聯合國大會的絕大多數會員國齊聚一堂，

承諾確保人權與瞬息萬變的世界同步，

to keep human rights aligned to a changing world

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

人人得享乾淨、健康，且永續的環境。

It will take unprecedented global cooperation

而這需要前所未見的全球合作，

to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, stop deforestation,

去減少溫室氣體排放、阻止森林砍伐，

and keep our waterways clean.

並保持水路乾淨。

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

這些搬上法庭的案件 是強而有力的第一步，

開始要求政府負起責任，

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

提高未來世代呼吸乾淨空氣的機會，

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

從今而後活在一個與白犀牛、 北極熊，和珊瑚礁共存的世界裡。

for years to come.