Ohio Just Granted Lake Erie the Same Rights as a Human
It’s the latest legal attempt to protect the beloved lake from environmental catastrophe
As Lake Erie begins to emerge from the thick layer of ice and snow that have capped its vast expanse over the last few months, Markie Miller feels an odd pang of melancholy. True, the summer months are a time for swimming, fishing, boating, and picnics on the lake’s beaches, but they also mark an end to a period of quiet at the lake — of frozen hibernation and serenity.
“It’s very reassuring when it’s frozen; you have this weird sense of security,” says Miller, who lives in Toledo, Ohio.
Miller has dedicated the last few years to the security of Lake Erie — an undoubtedly onerous task given the size of the lake and the dense industry, agriculture, and urbanization surrounding it. Thanks in part to her efforts, Toledo residents in February passed a measure granting legal rights to Lake Erie. Officially known as the Lake Erie Bill of Rights (LEBOR), the measure grants Lake Erie the legal right “to exist, flourish, and naturally evolve.” It was a radical proposal: Nonhuman entities generally don’t have legal rights under any U.S. law. Except corporations, of course.
