How can the law apply to climate change?
Join oikos NYC as we welcome Randall S. Abate, who will speak about the legal aspects of a warming world. His discussion will focus on how the law can protect the most vulnerable under climate change.
Overview:
Future generations, wildlife, and natural resources – collectively referred to as “the voiceless” in this presentation – are the most vulnerable and least equipped populations to protect themselves from the impacts of global climate change.
Domestic and international law protections are beginning to recognize rights and responsibilities that apply to the voiceless community; however, these legal developments have yet to be pursued in a collective manner and have not been considered together in the context of climate change and climate justice. This presentation first identifies the common vulnerabilities of the voiceless in the Anthropocene era. It then proposes how the law can evolve to protect their interests more effectively through a stewardship-focused and rights-based system derived from the mandate inherent in the concept of sustainable development.
This presentation is based on Professor Abate’s forthcoming book by the same title, which will be published by Cambridge University Press in August 2019.
Randall S. Abate
Randall S. Abate is the inaugural Rechnitz Family / Urban Coast Institute Endowed Chair in Marine and Environmental Law and Policy, and a Professor in the Department of Political Science and Sociology, at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. He teaches courses in domestic and international environmental law, constitutional law, and animal law.
