ABSTRACT
Ecuador’s 2008 constitution is the first constitution in the world to grant “Rights of Nature.” In this dispatch of the same year, Berg wonders why this milestone in human history occurred in Ecuador, a country previously unknown for advanced ecological policies, and he speculates that two factors may be relevant: the monumental presence of Nature itself in Ecuador and Ecuadorians’ cultural flair for change. Whatever the reason for its place of origin, Berg heralds Ecuador’s new constitution as a trail-blazing governing document for the planet.
