Making Ecocide a Crime: An Update from around the Pacific with John Miller, Lyndon De Vantier, Alan Webb

Join us for an important update from 'Stop Ecocide' advocates in New Zealand, Hawaii and other communities in the Pacific.

ABOUT OUR WEBINAR

Around the world, concerned citizens, environmentalists and lawyers are advocating for ecocide to be recognised as a crime in international law. Many nations in the Pacific have been vocal advocates for the recognition of ecocide as a crime. In the Pacific, communities have been arguing for decades that human-created climate change is setting up the conditions for ecocide in their communities: increasingly violent weather cycles and cyclone events are causing significant harm to human and non-human island communities, and sea level rise is threatening the complete extinction of many places.

In this webinar, guest speakers from Hawaii, New Zealand (and other communities, to be confirmed) will share updates about the threats faced by their communities, and the actions being taken by stop ecocide advocates and others.

Ecocide is broadly understood to mean mass damage and destruction of ecosystems - severe harm to nature which is widespread or long-term. Ecocide, committed repeatedly over decades, is a root cause of the climate and ecological emergency that we now face. 

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS 

JOHN MILLER - HAWAII

John Miller is the President & Co-Founder of Mana Pacific, a public benefit corporation in Hawaii and the initiator of the Moana Pledge, an international initiative to unite the 21 Pacific Island Countries & Territories (PICTs) to accelerate the adoption of clean energy in an equitable way. John is a Board Trustee for the American Renewable Energy Institute (AREI) in Colorado, the Paia Youth & Cultural Center in Hawaii, and Island Ambassador with Island Innovation, based in the UK. John is a two-spirit water protector working with the indigenous-led Stop Line 3 movement in MN, founder of the non-profit Wai Ola Alliance suing the US Navy for poisoning the water in Hawaii, and is an advocate and Earth Protector for Stop Ecocide, a global campaign to establish a law of ECOCIDE.

LYNDON DE VANTIER - AOTEAROA/NEW ZEALAND

Lyndon De Vantier is the Co-Lead for Stop Ecocide Aotearoa/New Zealand. He is also a freelance coral ecologist. He has worked with many international agencies and governments over the past 35 years, from Arabia to SE and E Asia, Australasia, Polynesia and Micronesia and the Caribbean. His work has focused on ecological assessment, monitoring and sampling design, taxonomy and biogeography. His main career goals are to improve understanding of the biological structure and ecological function of coral reefs, and assist in development of effective management. He is also increasingly focused on the impacts of changing climate and oceanography, particularly on threatened species.

ALAN WEBB - AOTEAROA/NEW ZEALAND

Alan Webb has over 28 years of experience in litigating company, contract, commercial, negligence, property, resource management and land disputes. He has extensive appellate Court experience. He also has experience in the District Court Civil and Criminal jurisdictions, the Environment Court, Council resource consent hearings, hearings before Parliamentary Select Committees, the Commerce Commission, and in Arbitral proceedings. Alan focuses predominantly on environmental issues arising under the Resource Management Act 1991. Although based in Auckland, he provides services throughout New Zealand and advises on all aspects on environmental, resource management, local government, public law, administrative and enforcement issues. He also acts as counsel for developers, property holdings companies, industrial services companies and community groups undertaking a wide range of projects. Alan regularly appears in council hearings, the Environment Court, the High Court and occasionally in the Appellate jurisdiction.

FACILITATED BY - Dr Michelle Maloney, National Convenor, Australian Earth Laws Alliance

ABOUT EARTH LAWS MONTH

The Australian Earth Laws Alliance (AELA) is hosting a huge month of events throughout September - webinars, public lectures, workshops, virtual art exhibitions and more - to explore and celebrate our relationship with the living world. To find out about all our events, please visit: https://events.humanitix.com/tours/earthlaws-month

ABOUT AELA

The Australian Earth Laws Alliance is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to creating Earth-centred systems change, by increasing the understanding and practical implementation of Earth-centred governance. Our programs include a focus on law, economics, education, ethics, Indigenous knowledge systems and the arts.

For more information, please visit our website: www.earthlaws.org.au
Or get in touch - aela@earthlaws.org.au