Proposal brought to Eco-Action committee; Discussion period & brief hiatus ensued; Call for consensus and additional discussion period followed (no objections/changes raised); Proposal passed via consensus on 8/16/2019 8:13pm.
Committee / Co-Chair Info: Eco-Action Committee / Co-Chairs
Audrey Clement & Tim Worts, aclement65@hotmail.com, tcworts@gmail.com
Author Contact Info:
Tim Worts, (973) 303-6354, tcworts@gmail.com
Proposal: Add new section to Chapter III: Ecological Sustainability
Section Title: N. Green Amendment (P if new points G and O take effect)
Proposed Changes:
Amend federal and state constitutions to incorporate the right to a clean and healthy environment pursuant to the 2017 text provided by the Delaware Riverkeeper Network below. GPUS agrees that the following text, or something similar, should be incorporated as amendment to the U.S. constitution:
“(a) Every person has a right to a clean and healthy environment, including pure water, clean air, and ecologically healthy habitats, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic, and aesthetic qualities of the environment. The State shall not infringe upon these rights, by action or inaction.
(b) The State’s public natural resources, among them its waters, air, flora, fauna, climate, and public lands, are the common property of all the people, including both present and future generations. The State shall serve as trustee of these resources, and shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all people.
(c) This paragraph and the rights stated herein are (1) self-executing, and (2) shall be in addition to any rights conferred by the public trust doctrine or common law.”
Additional Support
https://www.delawareriverkeeper.org/sites/default/files/PR%20NJ%20Green%20Amendment%20Announcement%20(2017-11-30).pdf
Jt should be immediately apparent that amending the Constitution of the USA is a task very different than that of amending some state constitutions, but perhaps the statistic suggesting that 33 states fail to legislate the right to a healthy environment, may be indicative of political attitudes that will be difficult to change