{"id":2166633,"date":"2024-02-02T20:28:01","date_gmt":"2024-02-03T01:28:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utah-lawmakers-advance-bill-to-prevent-the-granting-of-personhood-to-nature\/"},"modified":"2024-02-02T20:33:08","modified_gmt":"2024-02-03T01:33:08","slug":"utah-lawmakers-advance-bill-to-prevent-the-granting-of-personhood-to-nature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utah-lawmakers-advance-bill-to-prevent-the-granting-of-personhood-to-nature\/","title":{"rendered":"Utah lawmakers push bill to block nature&#8217;s personhood"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Futah-lawmakers-advance-bill-to-prevent-the-granting-of-personhood-to-nature%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2166633&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Utah Lawmakers Take a\u200c Stand \u200cAgainst Granting Inherent Rights to\u2064 Nature<\/h2>\n<p>Lawmakers in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/topic\/utah\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Utah<\/a> have made a\u200d bold move\u2064 this week to prevent the granting of legal \u2063personhood\u200c to\u2064 nature, a movement\u2063 that has \u200dbeen \u200dgaining momentum among environmental activists.<\/p>\n<p>The proposed legislation, known as <a href=\"https:\/\/le.utah.gov\/~2024\/bills\/static\/HB0249.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">House Bill 249<\/a> or the\u2062 &#8220;Utah Legal Personhood Amendments,&#8221; aims \u2062to declare\u200c that \u2063only human\u2062 beings can\u2064 enjoy the legal rights and obligations of personhood. The \u200dbill was passed by the Utah House\u200d on Tuesday \u2063and will \u2063now be considered \u200dby the Senate.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>The bill explicitly prohibits\u2062 the granting of legal personhood to any artificial intelligence, inanimate object, body of water, \u200cland, real property, atmospheric gas, astronomical object, weather, plant, nonhuman animal, and &#8220;any other \u2062member of a taxonomic domain that is\u200c not a human being.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The bill was introduced by Republican State\u2064 Rep. Walt Brooks in response\u2062 to efforts by environmental activists to grant\u200c legal personhood to\u2064 the Great Salt Lake. Brooks, who initially thought the request was a joke, conducted his \u2064own\u200c research and concluded that the\u2062 bill was\u200c a \u2064matter\u2064 of &#8220;common sense.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;I had to explain to my\u200c kids that, when you go to a dairy, those \u2064cows are\u200b pregnant\u200b because they need\u2064 to be if they&#8217;re going to\u200d give milk. But, did anybody get the permission of\u200b a cow\u2064 to get them pregnant? \u2063So, if they were a person, that\u200d would \u2063be sexual harassment,&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Democratic State Rep. Joel Briscoe, on the\u200b other hand,\u200c argued that nonhuman entities and \u200dbeings should have legal rights\u200b similar to corporations. He expressed uncertainty \u200dabout whether granting \u2062personhood to the\u200d Great Salt Lake would be a good idea, but \u2062emphasized the need for more detailed information before making a decision.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;What I \u200ddo know is this: before I put into code,\u200d and vote to put into code, a prohibition\u2064 against something \u200bthat\u200b I&#8217;m told is dangerous without\u200b any examples, I would really love to see some detail,&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Brooks stressed the importance of defining terms based \u2064on reality, \u200cdrawing a parallel \u200cbetween\u200c the hesitation to grant personhood to nature\u2063 and the ongoing \u2063confusion surrounding gender\u200d definitions.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;What I do know is this: a person is a person, and\u200b a tree is\u200d not, neither is an animal,\u2064 neither is a \u200cstream, neither is the air.\u200c I bet you if you went back ten years ago, no one had a question about what a woman was and what a man was, but \u2064we do get confused,&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Last\u2063 month, Brooks <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kuer.org\/politics-government\/2024-01-23\/lawmakers-looking-to-close-the-door-on-legal-personhood-for-the-great-salt-lake\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">expressed<\/a> his belief that\u2063 assigning personhood\u2063 to nonhuman entities is \u2063not an appropriate \u200bpreservation effort.\u200b He emphasized the \u200dimportance of\u200d finding alternative ways \u2063to preserve and protect \u200banimals,\u2062 rivers, streams, wetlands, and lakes.<\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-describedby=\"sk-tooltip-9096\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1700760801843000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG\">CLICK \u2064HERE TO GET THE\u200c DAILYWIRE+ APP<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p>Similar\u2062 measures have been\u2062 taken by environmental activists in\u200d other states. Last October, Milwaukee County in Wisconsin <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/milwaukee-county-passes-resolution-granting-nature-equal-rights-to-mankind\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">passed<\/a> a\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/milwaukee-county-passes-resolution-granting-nature-equal-rights-to-mankind\/\" title=\"Milwaukee County grants nature equal rights to humans.\">resolution granting nature equal rights<\/a> \u200bto mankind\u2063 in order to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congresswoman-lauren-boebert-conservatives-are-ready-to-govern\/\" title=\"Congresswoman Lauren Boebert: Conservatives Are Ready to Govern\">provide greater protections<\/a> for the county&#8217;s \u2064bodies of water.<\/p>\n<p>The movement to grant \u2063inherent \u2062rights\u2062 to nature traces back to the establishment of the United Nations&#8217; Intergovernmental \u2063Science-Policy Platform on \u2064Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) in 2012. IPBES considers granting inherent\u200b rights to nature as a significant public policy instrument.<\/p>\n<p>The bill received overwhelming \u2063support in the Utah House, with 58\u2064 members voting in \u200bfavor and only\u200b 11 against. Notably, only one Democrat, State Rep. Ashlee Matthews, voted in favor of the bill.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What are\u2062 the potential consequences, both positive and negative, of granting \u200blegal personhood to nature?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2064 Quote><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We\u2062 live in a society where there&#8217;s a lot of \u2062confusion about what those words mean, and the lack of clarity leads to \u2064a breakdown in communication and\u200b understanding. \u200dIf we start to blur \u200bthe lines between what is human and what is not, we <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/as-statues-topple-so-do-our-freedoms\/\" title=\"As statues fall, freedom crumbles.\">risk losing sight<\/a> of what it means \u2064to be human and the value that each individual person\u2063 brings to our society,&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The debate surrounding the granting of legal personhood\u2063 to nature has been ongoing around\u2062 the world. In recent years, countries like \u200dNew Zealand and India have recognized the\u2063 legal rights of \u200crivers and ecosystems. These initiatives aim to\u2064 protect the environment and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/massive-house-gop-energy-bill-praised-pilloried-in-marathon-first-hearing\/\" title=\"Massive House GOP Energy Bill Praised, Pilloried in Marathon First Hearing\">hold polluters accountable<\/a>. However, critics argue that such measures would have \u200cunintended consequences and could hinder economic development and human progress.<\/p>\n<p>In the United States, granting legal personhood to nature has gained momentum with various communities passing \u2064&#8221;rights of nature&#8221; legislation. \u200bThese \u200blaws aim to recognize the rights\u200b of nature to exist, flourish, and regenerate its natural systems. However, critics, such as those in Utah, argue that such legislation goes against the \u2062existing legal framework and could give nonhuman entities the ability to sue or take legal action.<\/p>\n<p>The Utah Legal\u2064 Personhood Amendments bill is seen by its supporters\u2063 as a necessary step to prevent potential legal and economic complications. They argue that by reaffirming that legal personhood is exclusive to humans, Utah\u200c can\u2063 maintain a clear and consistent legal \u200dframework. They also state\u200d that it is\u2063 the responsibility of\u200c humans to protect and care for the environment, rather than \u200bgiving nature legal rights that may conflict with human interests and needs.<\/p>\n<p>Opponents of the bill, on \u2064the other hand, argue that it is necessary to expand the concept of legal personhood to include nonhuman entities in order to address pressing environmental issues. \u200dThey believe that recognizing the legal rights of nature can help\u200c ensure a more sustainable and balanced approach to development and protect ecosystems for future generations.<\/p>\n<p>The passing of House Bill 249 by the Utah House is a significant development in the ongoing debate surrounding the legal rights\u2063 of nature. As the bill moves to the Senate for further consideration, it\u200c remains to be seen how this issue will be ultimately resolved in Utah. The \u200doutcome of this legislation \u2062could potentially set a precedent for other \u2062states\u2064 facing similar debates.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of \u200bthe final decision, the discussion around granting legal personhood to nature reflects the growing urgency to find innovative and effective ways to protect the environment. Balancing the needs of human society with the preservation \u2063of nature is a complex challenge that requires\u200c careful consideration of the legal, economic, and environmental implications. Ultimately, the goal should \u200dbe to ensure the long-term \u200bsustainability of both human civilization and the natural \u2064world\u200d we depend on.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Utah lawmakers pushed forward a bill to halt the recognition of nature&#8217;s inherent rights, a growing cause for environmental activists. Named House Bill 249 or the &#8220;Utah Legal Personhood Amendments,&#8221; it asserts that only humans can possess legal rights and responsibilities. The bill was approved by the Utah House on Tuesday and awaits further steps<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":243,"featured_media":2166634,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-143287558-scaled.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2166633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-143287558-scaled.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2166633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/243"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2166633"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2166633\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2166634"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2166633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2166633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2166633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}