Heather Fast: Environmental Rights as Human Rights

Heather Fast: Environmental Rights as Human RightsWhen the International Court of Justice issued a landmark advisory opinion on climate change this past July, it confirmed what environmental advocates have been arguing for years - that environmental protection is fundamentally about human rights. We sit down with Heather Fast, PhD candidate at the University of Manitoba's Natural Resource Institute and policy advocacy director of the Manitoba Eco Network, to break down what this means for Canada and communities like ours.Heather explains how the ICJ's non-binding but influential decision reinforces that the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is essential for enjoying all other human rights. From wildfires forcing evacuations to climate refugees displaced by rising seas, environmental degradation disproportionately impacts marginalized communities who often have the least resources to adapt.We explore:

• How the ICJ's advisory opinion strengthens legal pathways for environmental protection, even though it's non-binding
• Why marginalized communities bear the heaviest burden when environmental rights are violated
• The recent LeMay Forest controversy in Winnipeg and how it illustrates tensions between private property rights and collective environmental interests
• Practical ways Canadians can engage more meaningfully in environmental policy discussions
• How federal legislation like the Canadian Environmental Protection Act is beginning to recognize environmental rights

Heather brings both academic expertise and grassroots advocacy experience to help us understand why protecting our environment isn't separate from protecting human rights - it's the foundation that makes all other rights possible.Whether you're wondering how international law affects local policy or looking for ways to get more involved in environmental issues in your community, this conversation offers practical insights into one of the defining human rights challenges of our time.

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