Environment as a basic right
If we look at society from a historical perspective, we realize that protection and preservation of the environment has been integral to the cultural and religious ethos of most human communities. Nature has been venerated by ancient Hindus, Greeks, Native Americans and other religions around the world. They worshipped all forms of nature believing that it emanated the spirit of God. Hinduism declared in its dictum that “the Earth is our mother and we are all her children.”
The ancient Greeks worshipped Gaea or the Earth Goddess. Islamic law regards man as having inherited "all the resources of life and nature" and having certain religious duties to God in using them. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, God gave the earth to his people and their offspring as an everlasting possession, to be cared for and passed on to each generation. The concept of human rights in general emerged after the Second World War, but the right to a healthy environment, as one of those human rights, was never a priority. Today, this right is an emerging concept that is being hotly debated in the human rights arena. A healthy environment is an essential aspect of the right to life, not only for human beings but also for other animals on the planet. Violation, therefore, of the right to healthy environment is potentially a violation of the basic right to life.
Environmental deterioration could eventually endanger life of present and future generations. Therefore, the