Abstract
The Earth's legal right to freedom of speech remains largely unexplored within the broader legal movement for the rights of nature, which emerged in the 1970s. While environmental law increasingly recognizes nature's rights to exist and thrive, as illustrated by legal rights granted to various natural entities--like the Whanganui River or manoomin rice--the Earth's ability to communicate remains underdeveloped. This study employs legal research analysis to examine the philosophical reasoning behind how social, spiritual, and secular frameworks justify the Earth's right to freedom of speech and expression. It explores legal guardianship, scientific data, Indigenous knowledge, and spiritual stewardship as valid expressions of the Earth's voice. Legal models from Ecuador, New Zealand, and Indigenous traditions illustrate various facets of these justifications. By examining these philosophical justifications, this study recognizes that granting the Earth freedom to speech and expression is an important step toward establishing full legal personhood for nature and creating a future in which both human and nonhuman voices are heard and respected.
Degree
MA
College and Department
Fine Arts and Communications; Communications
Rights
https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Pun Eveson, Ashley Tzeting, "The Earth's Voice: The Social, Spiritual, and Secular Justifications for the Earth's Freedom of Expression" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 10857.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/10857
Date Submitted
2025-05-23
Document Type
Thesis
Handle
http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd13693
Keywords
environment, law, nature, Freedom of Speech, First Amendment, Earth
Language
english