A campaign in support of a new proposed law on environmental damage wants one million ‘love letters to the Earth’ to be sent to world leaders ahead of the 2012 Earth Summit.
The visual global petition is aiming to persuade world leaders to put a new law in place that would prevent extensive environmental destruction.
The new law, referred to as the law of ecocide, would be the environmental equivalent of genocide and is proposed as a fifth international crime against peace.
Visitors to the campaign website can choose an image and write a message to the Earth, which will be sent with other submissions to world leaders. The ‘love letters’ will be published on the Love Letters to the Earth website and can also be shared with family and friends.
The campaign aims to collect one million love letters before world leaders meet at the UN Earth Summit in Brazil in June 2012.
One supporter, signing his message as Wayne, wrote: “Dear Earth, you are so beautiful! Thank you for all you offer us — if we stop and look, we can see what a wonderful world you have provided for us, and what a luxurious home of true abundance!”
Artists from around the world have donated designs to the campaign, from traditional Australian Aboriginal painting to digital images created on an iPhone.
Love Letters to the Earth is part of the wider Eradicating Ecocide campaign, which was launched in September 2011 with a mock ecocide trial at the Supreme Court in London. A public jury unanimously found two CEOs from fictional energy companies guilty of ecocide for the damage caused by their exploitation of extracting oil.
“This is a campaign that is gathering momentum around the world,” said founding member Polly Higgins. “Now is the time for us to let our leaders know that we love the Earth and we want new laws to protect people and planet.”
