The right to a healthy environment has been the subject of extensive
philosophical debates that revolve around the question: Should rights
to clean air, water, and soil be entrenched in law? David Boyd answers
this by moving beyond theoretical debate to measure the practical
effects of enshrining the right in constitutions. His pioneering
analysis of 193 constitutions and the laws and court decisions of more
than 100 nations in Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa reveals a
positive correlation between constitutional protection and stronger
environmental laws, smaller ecological footprints, superior
environmental performance, and improved quality of life.