Nature Is A Human Right: Why We're Fighting for Green in a Gray World

by Ellen Miles

Overview

An inspiring collection of original writing from world-leading 'green' voices on why contact with nature is vital for our mental, physical and social wellbeing

Having access to natural, green spaces is vital to our physical and mental wellbeing. But, as urban development spreads, grey has become the new green. Already, concrete outweighs every tree, bush and shrub on Earth. Nature deprivation is a fast-growing epidemic, harming the health and happiness of hundreds of millions of people worldwide - especially vulnerable and marginalized groups. To combat this, Nature is a Human Right, founded by Ellen Miles in 2020, is working to make access to green space a recognized right for all, not a privilege. This ebook has taken root from the mission and vision of the campaign, bringing together a collection of engaging essays, interviews and exercises, curated by Ellen, from a selection of its expert ambassadors and supporters (including authors, artists, scientists, human rights experts, television presenters, TED speakers, and climate activists). Through each contributor, we discover a new perspective on why contact with nature should be a protected human right, journeying through personal narratives on mental health, disability, racism, environmental inequality, creativity, innovation and activism. This is a captivating and enlightening collection of original writing and ideas that highlights the importance of nature, the threats of nature deprivation, and the work that needs to be done to make our global future happier, healthier and more equal.

Ellen Miles is an environmental justice activist from London. She is the founder of Nature is a Human Right, the campaign to make access to green space a right for all, and Dream Green, a social enterprise that educates and equips people to become guerrilla gardeners. In her spare time, she is a guerrilla gardener, and runs a local action group in Hackney.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780744066159
Publisher:	DK
Publication date:	04/19/2022
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	10 MB

About the Author

Ellen Miles is an environmental justice activist from London. She is the founder of Nature is a Human Right, the campaign to make access to green space a right for all, and Dream Green, a social enterprise that educates and equips people to become guerrilla gardeners. In her spare time, she is a guerrilla gardener, and runs a local action group in Hackney. natureisahumanright.earth/.

Table of Contents

Introduction Ellen Miles 14

Welfare Why We Need Nature Around Us

Chapter Introduction Ellen Miles 28

The Peace of Wild Things Wendell Berry 34

The Secret Power of the Forest; From a Feeling to a Science Professor Qing Li, MD, PhD 36

Walk Through the Jungle Shareefa Energy 50

The Necessary Medicine Joy Griffiths 54

Empathy as Resistance Sophia "So" Sinopoulos-Lloyd 64

Animism(s) and Our Need for Beyond-Human Kinship Sophia Pinar Ates Sinopoulos-Lloyd 66

Restor(y)ing Place: Tracking and the Necessity of Ecological intimacy Sophia "So"Sinopoulos-Lloyd 68

When Seeing the World as Alive is Called Madness Pinar Ates Sinopoulos-Lloyd 77

Recycled Rhythms Rashmeet Kaur 84

The Ancient Alchemy of Composting Poppy Okotcha 86

From 31 words * prose poems ("highly visual rural winter image …") Evie Shockley 90

Is Nature Caffeine for Creativity? Daisy Kennedy 92

Injustice How We're Being Deprived of Nature

Chapter Introduction Ellen Miles 106

The Enclosed Place Michelle Barrett 112

City Kid Hila the Killa 124

Crossfire: Global Intersections Ellen Miles 126

Nature's Outcastes Elizabeth Soumya 127

After Apartheid, Green Spaces Are Still White Spaces Celine Isimbi 132

Latvia's Soviet Housing: A Grey Legacy in a Green Nation Linda Ludbarza 136

How Can We End Rural Racism? It's Time to Reimagine the Countryside Louisa Adjoa Parker 141

Land, Real and Imagined Louisa Adjoa Parker 152

The Road to Common Ground: Trespassing with Nick Hayes Ellen Miles interviews Nick Hayes 154

Potholes Linda Hogan 168

Disability is Natural Syren Nagakyrie 170

She's the City Erin Rizzato Devlin 182

Change What We Can ALL Do

Chapter Introduction Ellen Miles 186

From On Love and Barley-Haiku of Basho ("75") Translation Lucien Stryk 194

What If Your City was a National Park? Daniel Raven-Ellison 196

Self-portrait with a swarm of bees Jan Wagner Translation Iain Galbraith 210

Resistance is Fertile Ron Finley Tayshan Hayden-Smith in conversation 212

Seed Bombs Ayesha Tan-Jones 226

Permaculture Dora Young 230

Placemaking: Putting Communities at the Heart of Urban Greening Sharlene Gandhi 232

Rebel with a Cause: How to Become an Activist Noga Levy-Rapoport 243

The Power of Love: Why Nature Connection is at the Root of Solving the Climate Crisis Ellen Miles Clover Hogan 258

Look down, look up Olafur Ellasson 272

What If? Dan Raven-Ellison Ellen Miles 274

Endnotes 278

Index 300

Contributors 304

A Note from the Editor 314

Acknowledgments 315

Resources 318

Credits 319