Living surrounded by rubbish, overfishing and pollution, it must feel like we are ‘Laughing in the face of Nature’. Nobody likes to be laughed at, you feel undervalued and disrespected. Powerless, of no consequence oddly the meaning of the Japanese idiom ‘Little fish grinding their teeth.’

The idea that Nature could have rights is starting to gain traction around the world. When people challenged the idea saying, “Nature can’t talk”. Lawyers realised that Children need us to stand up for them and that we can/should do the same for Nature. Indigenous groups including Māori are leading the way. Helping reframe how we think. Instead of Nature being something to own. We can start to think of ourselves as guardians with the job of protecting Nature.

We are currently living a surreal experience. The reality is that 94 percent of life on earth is aquatic and supplies 50-80 percent of the world’s oxygen. Nature is suffering and so we are getting dangerously close to the environmental tipping point of no return. If that happens no one will be laughing, so best we take this seriously.

Katie Blundell Artist