The Law of Nature and Other Stories
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As the field of Environmental Law expands into new spheres, being a good environmental
lawyer, let alone being a great one, is becoming more difficult. Thirty years ago, one only had to
know the basic actions against nuisance, pollution and a few simple laws for natural resources
protection.
Today, it is very different. Today, a good environmental lawyer needs to know, among others,
the ecological sciences, the field of economics, development policy, finance, and technology
innovation. In addition, he is expected to know commercial law, human rights law, criminal law,
civil law, and international law, to name but a few. A working knowledge of sociology,
psychology and anthropology would also come in handy. Of course, all these are over and
above the growing number and complexity of the Environmental Laws in his respective
jurisdiction. There are but a few pioneers who have found new routes through the expanding
maze of Environmental Law. My friend Tony Oposa is one such lawyer.
lawyer, let alone being a great one, is becoming more difficult. Thirty years ago, one only had to
know the basic actions against nuisance, pollution and a few simple laws for natural resources
protection.
Today, it is very different. Today, a good environmental lawyer needs to know, among others,
the ecological sciences, the field of economics, development policy, finance, and technology
innovation. In addition, he is expected to know commercial law, human rights law, criminal law,
civil law, and international law, to name but a few. A working knowledge of sociology,
psychology and anthropology would also come in handy. Of course, all these are over and
above the growing number and complexity of the Environmental Laws in his respective
jurisdiction. There are but a few pioneers who have found new routes through the expanding
maze of Environmental Law. My friend Tony Oposa is one such lawyer.
More than a great Environmental Lawyer, however, Tony is also a storyteller and a cartographer. In his elegant prose, he maps
out the difficult terrain of Environmental Law and the natural sciences ... to serve as a guide for those who may wish the follow.
Tony, the lawyer, is also an innovator. He is always thinking of new ways to approach environmental and legal issues, always
daring to do new things, always thinking of new things. Wherever he travels — physically or intellectually — Tony always leaves
a clear footprint. Sometimes it is a novel case, sometimes it is a legal theory, and sometimes, it is simply his indomitable spirit that
sparks an enthusiasm and inspires even the most skeptical. Now, he leaves us a landmark.
A natural teacher and storyteller, Tony has the gift to make complex legal theories and environmental concepts sound so simple.
Anyone who has heard him give a lecture knows only too well how his agile mind always seems to find the right metaphor to make
us better understand and appreciate his message.
This work mirrors his talents. It is comprehensive in its breadth, analytical in its dissection, and most of all, compelling in its
message. Yet through it all, the story is told in simple and easily understandable language.
The book even has humor, something in short supply among people today, especially among lawyers. This should not be a
surprise, for anyone who knows Tony knows only too well of his mischievous sense of humor. Quick, hilarious, playful, and
irreverent in turns, the book acquires a character of its own, and makes reading it an even greater pleasure.
Note however, that after the ripples of laughter have settled down, there is a message he leaves us to think about. While Tony
calls himself ‘only a legal brawler,’ few are in fact as gifted. He has the intellectual sophistication of an international lawyer, yet at
the same time possessed with the boldness of a hand-to-hand combatant. Although little known in his own country, his work is
well known all over the world. His landmark case on the legal rights of future generations is now basic reading fare for all
international environmental law students worldwide. For environmental enforcement operatives, his covert legal strikes against big-
time illegal logging operators in the Philippines is near legendary.
We, in this generation, are lucky to have someone like him write books such as this. Bold in its thinking, it sketches a path to the
future and challenges us to think beyond the ordinary. Being a lawyer that he is, however, all the while he shows us how to
support it with the best legal foundations. Indeed, no other Environmental Law book in the world has been written in this form and
manner, nor any law book for that matter. Unprecedented in scope and style, this book is destined to survive the winds of time.
Most of all, we, in this generation, are lucky to have someone like Tony as our advocate and spokesman. He dares to stand and
speak for us in this generation and for future generations, in the hope that he may help us build a better world for tomorrow.
DURWOOD ZAELKE
Founder, Center for International Environmental Law
Director, International Network for Environmental
Compliance and Enforcement, Washington DC
out the difficult terrain of Environmental Law and the natural sciences ... to serve as a guide for those who may wish the follow.
Tony, the lawyer, is also an innovator. He is always thinking of new ways to approach environmental and legal issues, always
daring to do new things, always thinking of new things. Wherever he travels — physically or intellectually — Tony always leaves
a clear footprint. Sometimes it is a novel case, sometimes it is a legal theory, and sometimes, it is simply his indomitable spirit that
sparks an enthusiasm and inspires even the most skeptical. Now, he leaves us a landmark.
A natural teacher and storyteller, Tony has the gift to make complex legal theories and environmental concepts sound so simple.
Anyone who has heard him give a lecture knows only too well how his agile mind always seems to find the right metaphor to make
us better understand and appreciate his message.
This work mirrors his talents. It is comprehensive in its breadth, analytical in its dissection, and most of all, compelling in its
message. Yet through it all, the story is told in simple and easily understandable language.
The book even has humor, something in short supply among people today, especially among lawyers. This should not be a
surprise, for anyone who knows Tony knows only too well of his mischievous sense of humor. Quick, hilarious, playful, and
irreverent in turns, the book acquires a character of its own, and makes reading it an even greater pleasure.
Note however, that after the ripples of laughter have settled down, there is a message he leaves us to think about. While Tony
calls himself ‘only a legal brawler,’ few are in fact as gifted. He has the intellectual sophistication of an international lawyer, yet at
the same time possessed with the boldness of a hand-to-hand combatant. Although little known in his own country, his work is
well known all over the world. His landmark case on the legal rights of future generations is now basic reading fare for all
international environmental law students worldwide. For environmental enforcement operatives, his covert legal strikes against big-
time illegal logging operators in the Philippines is near legendary.
We, in this generation, are lucky to have someone like him write books such as this. Bold in its thinking, it sketches a path to the
future and challenges us to think beyond the ordinary. Being a lawyer that he is, however, all the while he shows us how to
support it with the best legal foundations. Indeed, no other Environmental Law book in the world has been written in this form and
manner, nor any law book for that matter. Unprecedented in scope and style, this book is destined to survive the winds of time.
Most of all, we, in this generation, are lucky to have someone like Tony as our advocate and spokesman. He dares to stand and
speak for us in this generation and for future generations, in the hope that he may help us build a better world for tomorrow.
DURWOOD ZAELKE
Founder, Center for International Environmental Law
Director, International Network for Environmental
Compliance and Enforcement, Washington DC
F O R E W O R D
