Wild Nite to feature Dr. Josh Gellers

Wild Amelia
Press Release
Submitted by Jay Kayne
[email protected]
May 4, 2021

Dr. Josh Gellers, associate professor of political science and public administration at the University of North Florida.

The final Wild Amelia “Wild Nite” of the 2020-21 program year is scheduled for 7:00pm on Tuesday, May 1l, and will focus on “Rights-Based Approaches to Environmental Protection.” The guest speaker will be Dr. Josh Gellers, associate professor of political science and public administration at the University of North Florida. Due to continuing CDC guidance related to large indoor gatherings, this free event will be held virtually on Zoom and can be accessed using the following Zoom link: https://bit.ly/3ukeZIb

Dr. Geller is a Research Fellow of the Earth System Governance Project, and former Fulbright Scholar to Sri Lanka. His research focuses on environmental politics, human rights, and technology. He is the author of The Global Emergence of Constitutional Environmental Rights (Routledge 2017) and Rights for Robots: Artificial Intelligence, Animal and Environmental Law (Routledge 2020). Geller earned a BA in political science from the University of Florida, MA in climate and society from Columbia University, and PhD in political science from the University of California, Irvine.

There has been a dramatic rise in the number of legal instruments designed to advance a rights-based approach to environmental protection. What are they? And have they made a difference? Dr. Geller’s presentation will address these questions based on the knowledge and experience of those engaged in the “environmental democracy” movement since its origin four decades ago.

NOTE: The “Wild Nite” series of lectures will resume in September at which time Wild Amelia plans to return to its traditional venue at the Peck Center, contingent on CDC and local health and safety policies.

Wild Amelia’s mission is to educate residents and visitors about the local bioregion and encourage stewardship of the area’s natural resources through events and programs that educate and entertain while promoting a conservation ethic. For updates on the status of program activities, please visit wildamelia.org and Wild Amelia on Facebook.

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Mark Tomes
Trusted Member
Mark Tomes(@mtomes)
2 years ago

Rights-based environmental protection laws are becoming more numerous in this country and all over the world, and they are a prime target of state and federal pre-emption laws, including here in Florida. Does a marsh or a forest have a right to thrive? Individuals and organizations have standing to speak for polar bears or butterflies, but who speaks for ecosystems? This event should be interesting.