TO DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM? AN ECOSOCIALIST ACCOUNT OF THE HUMAN RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

The construction of a human right to a healthy environment (both in academia and practice) has so far tended to neglect some important structural problems posed by the actual stage of global capitalism. Some approaches to that right seem to rise from a mere legalist point of view, forgetting to rise up some important questions in the debate surrounding human rights and the environment. This article intends to explore the Ecosocialist readings in order to question the possibility or not to realize a human right to a healthy environment, focusing on the role of global capitalist relations and trying to spot where third world countries (especially Latin American ones) stand in the middle of these challenges and discussions. Our main conclusions were that: i) the ecological catastrophe sponsored by the capitalist system poses a serious threat to the possibility of a human right to a healthy and clean environment; ii) Ecosocialist claims are not inconsistent with human rights demands, on the contrary, they should reinforce each other’s agendas in order to achieve a rights-based international Ecosocialist movement; iii) In Latin America, especially in Brazil, contemporary neoliberal policies have seriously undermined environmental protection efforts.