Seminar Series on Transformative Ideas: Dr. Helen Kopnina on Rights of Nature and Ecodemocracy in EOS 01.110

This presentation expands literature on conservation and human-wildlife conflicts that are caused by the expansion of human settlements and activities in formerly wild areas. The framing of peaceful co-existence then shifts from eliminating "pests" and "managing" the wildlife population by killing or sterilization, to a balanced effort to reconcile human and nonhuman interests that include changes to human behavior and systems. This presentation expands on an understanding of the anthropogenic drivers of conflict, such as the expansion of the human population, demand for timber, and other resources forces driving poaching, as well as local communities' attitudes towards wildlife. Implications for the Rights of Nature and Ecodemocracy are discussed.