In a groundbreaking move, scientists at the University of Vermont, along with international co-authors, have published a paper outlining Ecuador’s successes in legally championing the Rights of Nature. The paper, titled “Frogs, Coalitions, and Mining: Transformative Insights for Planetary Health and Earth System Law from Ecuador’s Struggle to Enforce Nature’s Rights,” appears in Earth System Governance’s special issue on “Locating the ‘Global South’ in Earth System Governance.”

Ecuadorian frogs might seem unlikely superheroes, yet these small spotted amphibians emerged victorious against a Goliath of mining concessions in Ecuador. Like most superheroes, the frogs had help from a team of strong allies. In this case, members of the Junin community, along biologists, lawyers, and other allies, successfully sued on Nature’s behalf to halt mining activities. The Resistance Rocket Frog — Rana Cohete Resistencia — was named by the people of Intag, to symbolize their collective struggle to defend their territory.

Ecuador’s enshrinement of the Rights of Nature within its Constitution in 2008 represents a monumental shift in rights and jurisprudence. Ecuador’s constitution establishes Nature as a subject with inherent rights. It embeds humans within ecological processes and emphasizes care, stewardship, and the equitable coexistence of all life forms.

To date, sustained legal and community efforts have successfully blocked three large mining projects in Intag, while the Rights of Nature have prevailed in half a dozen landmark court cases across Ecuador. Resistance to mining in Intag Valley, a biodiversity hotspot, exemplifies the power of community action and international solidarity in pursuing planetary health equity and justice, and a just transition for all.

Andrea Terán, an Ecuadorian biologist providing data and research to support the case and a co-author of the paper, believes the Rights of Nature approach is what led to this environmental success. “Translating the Constitutional Rights of Nature into concrete conservation measures is a powerful tool to prevent species extinction in areas threatened by mining.”

Dr. Mario Moncayo, part of the team of sponsoring attorneys in the Llurimagua mining case, described their legal victory this way: “In the case of Llurimagua, as explained in the article, the practical applicability of the rights of Nature is demonstrated, showing that these are not merely symbolic declarations but rights with real-world legal effects.”

The paper outlines three critical dimensions of successful Rights of Nature laws:

1. The recognition of Nature’s inherent rights: This approach acknowledges the intrinsic value of ecosystems and establishes a framework for their protection.
2. Community-led conservation: By involving local communities in decision-making processes, Ecuador has successfully implemented conservation efforts that prioritize the well-being of both humans and nature.
3. Global governance mechanisms: The Rights of Nature framework can serve as a model for international cooperation and the development of new governance structures that prioritize ecological justice.

The paper proposes next steps to scale the Rights of Nature framework and offers specific recommendations for policy reforms and governance models. Rights of Nature victories have inspired legal innovations globally, with countries such as Bolivia, New Zealand, and India adopting similar approaches.

Signed by Ecuador and 22 other Latin American countries, The Escazú Agreement (2020) stands out as a critical governance tool for advancing environmental and ecological justice. However, despite its entry into force in April 2021, violence persists; 2,100 nature defenders were killed globally, and 70% of these murders occurred in four Latin American countries in 2023 (Global Witness, 2024).

Lead author and UVM Research Assistant Professor Dr. Carlos Andres Gallegos-Riofrío discusses the governance implications: “A key lesson — especially the coalition that advanced the Llurimagua case — is that there are real alternatives for governing the Earth system. These alternatives, to become truly transformative, need society must active engagement. Only then can they serve as critical tools to help local communities stop activities that harm both people and Nature, globally prevent us from continuing to cross the planet’s safe operating boundaries.”

Dr. Amaya Carrasco Torrontegui, senior author and the other UVM affiliate, describes the policy impact this way: “The Rights of Nature is a strong and inspiring idea that started in Ecuador. This approach encourages us to see Nature not just as a resource, but as something alive and deserving of care — drawing on Indigenous wisdom and the idea of Pachamama, or Mother Earth.”

The story of human evolution is often tied to the continents we inhabit today – Africa, Asia, and Europe. However, a lesser-known chapter in our planet’s history reveals how the ancient ancestors of elephants, giraffes, humans, and other animals were united across two vast continents due to an extraordinary geological event.

Scientists believe that a plume of hot rocks erupted from the Earth’s mantle 20 million years ago, creating a massive land bridge that connected Asia and Africa through what is now the Arabian Peninsula and Anatolia. This monumental transformation was made possible by the gradual uplift of land, which in turn enabled early humans to roam between continents.

According to research published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, this land bridge ended a 75-million-year-long isolation of Africa from other continents, allowing animals to migrate freely between Asia and Africa. The appearance of the land bridge also had significant impacts on ocean circulation and climate patterns.

As reported by lead author Eivind Straume, a postdoctoral fellow at NORCE Norwegian Research Centre and The Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, “The shallow seaway closed several million years before it otherwise likely would have due to these specific processes – mantle convection and corresponding changes in dynamic topography.” This means that if Africa and Asia had remained separate by an additional million years, the ancestors of humans might have followed a different evolutionary path.

In this case, timing was everything. The primate ancestors of humans came to Africa from Asia before the land bridge fully emerged, only to re-colonize Asia when the two continents were finally connected. This remarkable event is a testament to how the long-term convective evolution of our planet shapes life on Earth.

The uplift of the Arabian Peninsula also had significant impacts on ocean circulation and climate patterns. Nearby ocean temperatures warmed, widening seasonal temperature ranges, making a swath of land from north Africa to central Asia more arid. Researchers believe that this land bridge was the final trigger in making the Sahara a desert. These topographical changes enhanced monsoon season in Asia, making southeast Asia wetter.

This study brings together existing research spanning plate tectonics, mantle convection, topography and paleogeography, evolutionary anthropology, mammal evolution, climate evolution, and ocean circulation to tell a cohesive story of the wide-ranging effects of these mantle dynamics. The findings are a compelling example of how our planet’s history shapes life on Earth.

As study co-author Thorsten Becker, a professor at The University of Texas at Austin Jackson School of Geosciences, said, “This study has relevance to the question of ‘How did our planet change, in general? What are the connections between life and tectonics?'”. The answer lies in the ancient land bridge that united Asia and Africa, shaping animal evolution and climate patterns forever.

The study, led by researchers at Yale University, has shed new light on the potential link between early-life exposure to air and light pollution and an increased risk of pediatric thyroid cancer. The findings are concerning, especially given how widespread these exposures are.

The research team analyzed data from 736 individuals diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer before age 20 and 36,800 matched control participants based on birth year. Using advanced geospatial and satellite modeling, the team assessed individual-level exposure to fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) and outdoor artificial light at night (O-ALAN). The results showed that for every 10 micrograms per cubic meter increase in PM2.5 exposure, the odds of developing thyroid cancer rose by 7% overall.

The strongest association between exposure and thyroid cancer was found among teenagers (15-19 years of age) and Hispanic children. Children born in areas with high levels of O-ALAN exposure were 23-25% more likely to develop thyroid cancer. The study’s lead author, Dr. Nicole Deziel, emphasized that these results are concerning and highlight the importance of addressing environmental factors in childhood cancer research.

Thyroid cancer is among the fastest-growing cancers among children and adolescents, yet we know very little about what causes it in this population. This study suggests that early-life exposure to PM2.5 and O-ALAN may play a role in this concerning trend. The impact of papillary thyroid cancer on children can be extensive, with survivors often suffering from aftereffects such as temperature dysregulation, headaches, physical disabilities, and mental fatigue.

Both PM2.5 and O-ALAN are considered environmental carcinogens that have been shown to disrupt the body’s endocrine system, including thyroid function, in animals and adults. The particles associated with PM2.5 pose a threat because they are small enough to enter the bloodstream and can interfere with hormone signaling, including those involved in regulating cancer pathways.

The current research raises important environmental justice concerns. Communities of color and lower-income populations are often disproportionately exposed to both air pollution and light pollution – inequities that may contribute to the higher thyroid cancer burden observed in Hispanic children.

In conclusion, this study highlights the need for more work to replicate and expand on these findings, ideally using improved exposure metrics and longitudinal designs. In the meantime, the results point to the critical importance of addressing environmental factors in childhood cancer research. Reducing exposures to air pollution and managing light pollution could be important steps in protecting children’s health.