Society for Earth Law
Earth Law as an Interdisciplinary Practice: Catalyzing the Eco-Centric Transition by
Building the Infrastructure for Earth Governance through
Interdisciplinary Student Regional Hubs
There is no group with more energy and stamina than post-secondary students who are driven to make a change in the world. SOEL has found that even law students are unaware of Earth Law principles and how they can be applied even in more traditional environmental discourse. Further, Earth Law principles are universal; every discipline can engage with those concepts and apply them in their field of study and professional work. Hubs would make it possible for students to interact and explore the possibilities.
SOEL will launch its first three Regional Hubs at the Interdisciplinary Student Symposium during Climate Week NYC 2026, September 22nd 1pm-5pm at SUNY Global Center.
The Importance of an Interdisciplinary Approach
Most environmental law and policy programs focus on the regulatory aspects of climate change, training lawyers and policy advocates to address violations and reporting obligations under a “harms-based” system. These systems set calculable targets without much direct accountability because they lack a holistic view and understanding of the complex underlying causes. What if Earth Law principles, which are holistic by definition, were introduced as part of whatever field of study students were learning and engaging with? Early adoption of Earth Law principles addresses two fundamental issues; first, many professionals are completely unaware of Earth Law and how it could be applied, and second, once gaining awareness, they struggle with “unlearning” the ingrained thought-process in their discipline.
SOEL’s Regional Student Hubs are intentionally interdisciplinary and engage students with Earth Law principles and training as they are pursuing their major course of study. “In the ever-evolving landscape of academic research, interdisciplinary approaches have emerged as a beacon of innovation and progress. Interdisciplinary knowledge provides a crucial response to critiques of traditional discipline-based knowledge production, which frequently falls short in addressing the complex nature of real-world problems.” This is integrational learning; SOEL can engage students across law, engineering, business, health sciences, and public policy. SOEL’s vision is to integrate the overarching principles of Relationality, Reciprocity, and Responsibility into these interdisciplinary and eco-centric dialogues and thereby develop a common language for the future. “Differences in professional language and theoretical frameworks [can create] communication challenges … It is important to have conversations [] that help 1) define a shared problem and then 2) unpack the different theories of action that come out of different disciplines [that] can help us to ‘try on each other’s hats’ which pushes a broader and more critical approach to undertaking the work.”
Impact
Pedagogically-speaking, this interdisciplinary learning also fosters better and higher systems-level thinking. [T]he capacity to integrate knowledge and modes of thinking in two or more disciplines or established areas of expertise to produce a cognitive advancement, such as explaining a phenomenon, solving a problem, or creating a product, in ways that would have been impossible or unlikely through single disciplinary means.” For example, architects and engineers will design infrastructure that is compatible with the needs of the ecosystem and all living beings that depend upon it and the business leaders using their services will also rely upon corporate governance models that account for planetary boundaries in their decision-making. There is no shortage of scholarly studies on the benefits of collaborative learning and the development of skills like critical thinking, problem solving, team working, and holistic analysis. This approach was deemed critical in the ground-breaking Tbilisi Declaration of 1977. The world needs to catch-up to the environmental education set forth in that document. Students now must avail themselves of it because it is they who will need to solve and innovate around the complex, multi-dimensional, multi-cultural, challenges facing the planet and humanity’s existential crisis.
MISSION
The mission of the Society for Earth Law is to transform law for an ecological age based on the meta-principles of relationality, reciprocity, and responsibility.
VISION
Earth Law calls for a holistic way of caring for all life and all that supports life on Earth. We envision a world in which legal, economic, social, and governance systems foster collective commitment to nurturing, regenerating, and sustaining our Earth community at local, bioregional, national, and planetary levels.
Origins:
Our Story of Becoming
Why We Exist
Earth is not just a set of resources to be used. Earth is our home—the place that gives us life, feeds us, gives us air to breathe and water to drink. We share Earth with other species. Earth’s interacting, dynamic, and natural systems make all life possible. But today, we are at a crossroads. We are failing to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and the health of our forests, oceans, rivers, and soils. While there are many inter-human problems, those concerning human-Earth relations are primary. Many people feel powerless, like they have no say in the decisions shaping their future. Big corporations and the ultra-wealthy exercise control of our governments, economies, and legal system across the world. They have tried to convince us that their way is the only way—that we must choose between jobs and a healthy planet, between security and fairness, between energy and a stable climate, between sustenance and regenerative agriculture. These are false choices.
We believe the law should serve all of us, not just the powerful. Our legal systems now favor property, profit, and accumulation of wealth at the expense of sufficiency for all and protection of Earth—the foundation of life itself.
Our Approach
The Society for Earth Law (SOEL) seeks to operate at a transformative scale—not merely addressing the symptoms of environmental and social degradation but also developing a transformative new paradigm for overall health and well-being. SOEL challenges the old paradigms of the existing legal, economic, and cultural power structures. We aim to reflect the diversity of humanity in our membership, chapters, and leadership. We intend to promote interdisciplinary scholarship, with widespread collaboration as a pillar of our efforts. SOEL recognizes the wisdom of Indigenous laws, customs, and practices as vital. We will value and incorporate this wisdom as well as the wisdom of women, of science, of classical humanistic and religious traditions, and of contemporary thought in our efforts to care for Earth and develop Earth Law. By building a new intellectual and legal infrastructure for ecological health and well-being, we seek to heal humanity's relationship with Earth and bring into being a true sense of Earth community. We do this from the perspective of Thomas Berry’s famous principles: “The universe is a communion of subjects, not a collection of objects;” and “Ecology is not a part of law, law is an extension of ecology.”
Take Action
Ready to take the next step? You can become a contributor to our cause, or participate yourself.