Swiss Government Issues Bill of Rights for Plants Revolution is
in the air, as the Swiss Government's Federal Ethics Committee
on Non-Human Biotechnology concludes that plants have rights,
and we have to treat them appropriately. A majority of the panel
concluded that "living organisms should be considered morally
for their own sake because they are alive." The Weekly Standard,
which is appalled, gives an example of how a farmer mowing his
field is OK, but if he carelessly decapitates flowers while
walking home, that is immoral. It suggests that "The animal
rights movement grew out of the same poisonous soil." Patrick
Metzger at Green Daily suggests that "this concept is a little
extreme even for the most committed treehugger." Having scanned
the report, I am not so sure that it is that far off base. It
isn't just Julia Butterfly Hill who has fought for the rights of
trees, and there are many who fall in love with their garden and
protect their tomatoes like their pets, and give them the proper
reverence when