Ecuador's recent constitutional recognition of the "rights of Nature" is getting its first major workout in a groundbreaking lawsuit against BP: "This morning we filed in the constitutional court of Ecuador this lawsuit defending the rights of nature in particular the right of the Gulf of Mexico and the sea which has been violated by the BP oil spill. We see this as a test case of the rights of nature enshrined in the constitution of Ecuador–it's about universal jurisdiction beyond the boundaries of Ecuador because nature has rights everywhere."
BP Sued in Ecuadorian Court For Violating Rights of Nature
(Thanks, Jeff!)