Source: Good News Network
Five years ago, millions of Americans found themselves in the middle of a water crisis that was caused by chemical pollution in Lake Erie. The runoff resulted in a toxic algae bloom that led Ohio legislators to warn state residents against drinking tap water for several days.
Last week, however, the people of Toledo successfully voted in favor of legislation that will protect the lake from similar chemical disasters in the future by granting it the same rights as person.
Despite facing an opposition campaign that was well-funded by agricultural and industrial interest groups, Toledo citizens enacted the Lake Erie Bill of Rights with a 61% majority.
The law recognizes the rights of the lake and its watershed, and empowers citizens – as part of that larger ecosystem who have “the right to a healthy environment” – to stand up for the lake and take legal action when those rights are violated.
“It was…
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