Self-willed nature as a legal subject.
About
The Pasterze, the longest glacier in the Eastern Alps, is under anthropogenic pressure. According to current research, the glacier tongue could disappear by 2050. The research project “Pasterze” explores how the Pasterze could hypothetically be granted legal personhood, and thus the right to self-representation within the legal system. The starting point is the discourse on human-nature relationships in the Anthropocene and the international significance of the Rights of Nature (RoN) movement. The research is conducted using the Pasterze Glacier as a practical case study.
The approach does not primarily focus on a legal perspective. Expertise is drawn from the fields of sociology, ecology, human geography, and law. However, the core of the project is transdisciplinarity, involving additional actors from art, education, and society by creating an open space for exchange. In this space, new ways of thinking about nature can be developed. The goal is to theoretically and practically explore what it means to conceptualize nature as an entity with its own legal rights.
Vier Säulen Forschungsdesign:
Säule 1
Pachamama Framework for the Pasterze
Here, we address the question of how the right of nature to self-representation could be implemented specifically in the context of the Pasterze Glacier. To this end, a literature review is conducted to identify existing legal models and theoretical concepts.
In the next step, an analysis is carried out to determine how these existing theories and models can be applied to the specific case of the Pasterze, in order to develop an idea of what a legal framework for the glacier might look like.
Säule 2
Pachamama Philosophicum
As part of the Pachamama Philosophicum, a two-day event held on-site at the Pasterze Glacier, we explore the question of what the “will of nature” might mean by bringing together scientific, spiritual, and artistic perspectives through the contributions of experts and participants.
The goal of this interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary gathering is to develop a catalog of claims in the “Manifesto of the Pasterze,” which will further articulate and reinforce the ethical and philosophical foundations of our project.
Säule 3
Pachamama public Debate
The fictional “voice of nature,” expressed in the Manifesto of the Pasterze, is published at this stage. Through this provocative and symbolic representation, we aim to initiate a dialogue between nature and society while making our research accessible to a wider audience.
The public’s reactions are systematically documented and collected, for example, in the form of press clippings, to track and analyze the resonance and discourse surrounding the project.
Säule 4
Pachamama Experiment
The project concludes with an imaginary approval process for an infrastructure development in the core zone. The Pasterze, as a natural entity, becomes a party to the process, is legally represented, and its voice directly influences the decision-making process.
The focus shifts from the question of what is “environmentally compatible” to one that is “nature-supporting” for the Pasterze. The process is intended to culminate in a hypothetical decision that highlights the influence of nature on the approval process.
The results are systematically documented, reflected upon, and analyzed to provide new impetus for nature conservation and the further development of the Rights of Nature concept in the 21st century.
About us
Dr. Kathrin Hilgarter
Project Management
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Dr. Michael Jungmaier
Supervision
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