Andrea Mrozinski
Recently, a coalition of State Legislators in 40 states,
including Wisconsin, began a campaign for a U.S. Constitutional Amendment
to guarantee the right to a clean environment.
The proposed Amendment was born out of many legislators' frustrations over
the tendency of the Newt Gingrich-led Congress to cut back environmental
regulations. State Representative Spencer Black, who is leading the effort
in Madison, said, "Recent congressional actions threaten the water
we drink and the air we breathe. We want to put the citizen's right to
a clean environment on equal footing with other rights."
The proposed Amendment states: "The natural resources of the nation
are the heritage of present and future generations. The right of each person
to clean and healthful air and water, and to the protection of the other
natural resources of the nation, shall not be infringed upon by any person."
This Amendment could force courts to take into account environmental concerns
when adjudicating cases. Of course, many would say that these rights to
a clean environment already exist within the Constitution, even if not
explicitly stated. But, either way, the fact remains that an environmental
Amendment would certainly serve to raise awareness about environmental
issues, and in conjunction, Constituional rights.
This begs the question: How feasible is an environmental Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution? Well, amending
the Constitution is not an easy process. It takes a tremendous amount
of political will. The Amendment would need to be passed by the Congress
with a two-thirds majority as well as being ratified by the state legislatures
of 38 states. It's a long process, and the coalition of State Legislators
seeking an environmental Amendment are only at the beginning of it. Caryl
Terrell of the Wisconsin Sierra Club,
which supports the amendment, said,"It is an uphill battle to amend
the Constitution, as those of us in the women's movement know, but it is
a worthy effort and has gotten bipartisan support."
So what can you do about any of this? You could e-mail President
Clinton or Speaker of the House Newt
Gingrich to let them know that you're concerned about the environment
and would like to see them pass the Amendment. Let your U.S.
Senators and your U.S.
Representatives, as well as Wisconsin's
State Legislators, know how you feel. And, be informed about environmental
issues; they affect you every day of your life. Visit the Student
Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC), the Environmental
Information Center, or Greenpeace
International to find out more.