Rethinking nature: why we need to reconsider how the law responds to environmental issues

This seminar is co-hosted by the Centre for Law, Science and Policy and the School of Law Research Seminar Series. Our series offers exciting insights into ongoing research projects within the law school and conducted by our external research partners. We often feature work from our research centres (the Centre for American Legal Studies, the Centre for Human Rights, the Centre for Science, Law and Policy, and the International Business Law Research Group). Our work is often transdisciplinary, dealing with law's relationship with broadly defined social justice, policy-making, science and much more. Join us for invigorating discussion! 

In this session, we hear from Michelle Strauss. Michelle is a doctoral researcher in the department of law researching how to use animal law concepts to improve environmental law. Prior to starting this research Michelle worked in private practice for over 10 years in the area of professional negligence. During this time she developed an interest in animal law and volunteered with the UK Centre for Animal Law as the co-chair of the companion animal working group. She also founded and is a trustee of the legal advocacy charity The Animal Advocacy Project.

Michelle Strauss will deliver a research seminar discussion on how the law can address environmental issues, followed by interactive Q&A. Details of the session below.

Title

Rethinking nature: why we need to reconsider how the law responds to environmental issues by Michelle Strauss

About the Session

We face an unprecedented environmental crisis and unless action is taken to address human behaviour there is a real risk that the Earth's ecosystems will, in the not too distant future, be unable to support complex life. Legal efforts have been made to respond to this crisis at a domestic and international level, but some argue these efforts have proven unsuccessful. There is a growing body of intersectional legal research that interrogates how the law has developed to address environmental issues and critiques this body of law as being anthropocentric, ethnocentric and gendered. This scholarship explores how these aspects of environmental law are impeding our progress in addressing environmental degradation. This seminar will explore a sample of this work with examples from current environmental law. The discussion will then go on to briefly consider ideas that have been proposed as a way to reframe how the law addresses environmental issues to provide a more effective response to the crisis we face.

If you have any questions, contact Mitchell Longan, the Research Seminar Series leader at mitchell.longan@bcu.ac.uk. 

This seminar has now concluded but it is available on demand. If you find that you do not have access, you can email the research seminar series leader at mitchell.longan@bcu.ac.uk in order to gain access.