stephanie
06-01-2008, 11:21 AM
:poke:
By BENNETT HALL
Corvallis Gazette-Times
EUGENE — University of Oregon law professor Mary Wood is tired of waiting for government officials to take action on global warming. So she’s devised a new legal tool to hurry them up.
Drawing on her background in both natural resources and property law, Wood has developed a theory that claims the atmosphere is an asset that belongs to all but is held in trust by the government. The government has a legal obligation to protect that trust from harm, she argues, just as financial managers have a legal obligation to protect the monetary assets in their care.
“The main problem with climate is that no government is taking responsibility for it and our government is sitting idle while this catastrophe is unfolding,” Wood said.
“There’s no other body of law that requires the government to act. But a trustee has to act to protect the body of the trust.”
read the rest.
http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2008/06/01/news/top_story/1aaa01_law.txt
By BENNETT HALL
Corvallis Gazette-Times
EUGENE — University of Oregon law professor Mary Wood is tired of waiting for government officials to take action on global warming. So she’s devised a new legal tool to hurry them up.
Drawing on her background in both natural resources and property law, Wood has developed a theory that claims the atmosphere is an asset that belongs to all but is held in trust by the government. The government has a legal obligation to protect that trust from harm, she argues, just as financial managers have a legal obligation to protect the monetary assets in their care.
“The main problem with climate is that no government is taking responsibility for it and our government is sitting idle while this catastrophe is unfolding,” Wood said.
“There’s no other body of law that requires the government to act. But a trustee has to act to protect the body of the trust.”
read the rest.
http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2008/06/01/news/top_story/1aaa01_law.txt