Polly Higgins - Eradicating Ecocide: Laws and Governance to Stop the Destruction of the Planet

Winner of The Peoples Book Prize (non-fiction) 2011 What the People said about Eradicating Ecocide

Essential and timely. A great book for us all.

Preserving the earth for future generations of all living things is vital. This book focuses on how to do this legally, how to wake the public to possible solutions. I vote for Ending Ecocide by Polly Higgins.

A fantastic piece of pursuasive argument. This should be read by everyone in No.10 and the White House.

This is the book that legal systems around the world are waiting for This should be book of the century.

This book is one of the most important books for solving our most vital problem it is literally about the survival of life as we know it on our planet! Polly brings us what we so desperately need: finally, an elegant, inspiring, ambitious yet totally possible solution to save ourselves!

Go Polly! xxx

If anyone can help save the planet, Pollys book can.

If this book fails to win the prize, humanity deserves what its got in store.

Important ideas and practical application!

A must read for anyone who cares about having a socially just and liveable tomorrow Jim.

An essential book that can help us create a better world.

Excellent job Polly! Best read in 2011 so far!

Inspirational.

This is a major new approach towards understanding what we are doing to the planet Thanks Polly.

Too late to vote but I must say that this is by far the most important and world-changing book on the list. It is factual and careful, but also very moving. Making ecocide an international crime against peace would go so far towards arresting the destruction and pollution of our only planet.

Best book 2011 for our readers!

Not only a brilliant book but a guide! Thank you Polly.

Probably the most important book in all history

Ecocide as a UN amendment could transform the face of the planet as did the abolition of slavery in the C19.

I totally support and agree with Pollys goal for international legislation against ecocide and hope that winning this award will stir more public support.

This is an important, inspirational and visionary book which should be read by all world leaders!

Polly gets my vote. Our planet needs to be heard.

Enlightening and frightening and essential reading. We need to think differently and faster.

This book needs to get out there.

Polly Higgins is an inspiration. An international lawyer, she has focused her talents towards the creation of a new international law, Ecocide This will be an incredibly difficult task but, having met her and realised the depth of her research and extent of her networking in Southern nations, if anyone can pull it off Higgins can.

This book should be compulsary reading for all people to inspire us all to lobby our leaders to ACT now and much much faster if necessary.

This is the most serious issue facing us; we must not deny it and Polly Higgins helps us face reality.

This book will help create a new foundation for a new humanity!

A book of universal influence and initiative that will stimulate the changes the planet needs.

Fabulous user-friendly legal book which manages to be easy and interesting to read, while being packed full of information. Its also a refreshing positive climate change book.

Making ecocide a crime is SO important that everything else pales into insignificance.

Best book this decade.

Its about time it was made a serious crime to cause ecocide.

An amazing idea! I hope this book leads to a healthier future for generations to come.

This is an important book and important legislation! The Earth is a Living and Intelligent Being, as we are. If we dont stop raping her and killing her, bit by bit; there will be no place for us to live.

I guess the survival of life on planet earth is a concept to get behind, eh?

A heroic and visionary book!

Maybe the most improtant book for the 21st century!

An inspiring read to shake us out of complacency.

This book proposes a method to bring to justice those who create wanton destruction to our environment Bravo!

A planet-saving read!

Polly Higgins pioneering visionary work is inspiring and this book is essential reading for us all to act on; this is just the start!

Polly Higgins is an activist lawyer and a true inspiration to all young lawyers.

Most needed book in these times Thanks Polly.

Essential reading. Ecocide must be eradicated or it will destroy us all.

The simple facts and the simple solution to guarantee a sustainable future for our children a true call to action for every one of us.

Surely, this accessible yet comprehensive book counts among the most timely currently available on a crucial theme of our times.

Beyond important we cannot carry on as if there is no tomorrow, as there will be no tomorrow.

This is a major contribution to high-efficacy strategy; to ignore it could be interpreted as a form of sui-genocide.

Polly knows law inside out. She also understands what matters in life. When these two come together, you have an explosive combination generating invaluable insights inspiring for action that counts.

Quite simply the best book on the most important topic of all time.

Polly Higgins is woman with a huge heart and great vision. Shes waking up people all over the world to the need to protect our planet, and hence ourselves.

The simple fact of defining Ecocide as a crime could give pause to thinking members of [company] boards, and hold back destructive projects.

Truly inspiring how laws could save the planet. This is insightful and proactive it is as the forefront of a new wave of thought that offers real solutions to tackling global problems.

2010 & 2015 Polly Higgins

Other books by the author:

Earth is our Business Changing the Rules of the Game

I Dare You To Be Great

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the written permissionof the publisher, Shepheard-Walwyn (Publishers) Ltd

First published in 2010 by

Shepheard-Walwyn (Publishers) Ltd

107 Parkway House, Sheen Lane

London SW14 8LS

Reprinted 2011, 2012, 2014

2nd edition 2015

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

ISBN-13: 978-0-85683-508-7

Printed on FSC accredited Munken bookbove

Cover design by Tentacle

www.tentacledesign.co.uk

Typeset by Arthouse Publishing Solutions Ltd,

Printed and bound in the United Kingdom

by 4edge Limited

D EDICATION

To my darling husband Ian, my serenissimus, you are the sunshine of my life

N ow more than ever, the message of this book retains its relevance. Whilst some specific examples have been updated, the basic tenet where political will fails, the rule of law can prevail still stands. Since I originally wrote this book, a concept paper has been seeded into many governments across the world, two more books have been published, a global movement to End Ecocide has taken root, Earth lawyers (and non-lawyers) across the world are supporting Ecocide law. It continues to be my honour as the lead advocate for Ecocide law to take forward a law that puts in place one simple yet profound principle first do no harm.