This Tree Could Become a Person

     I thought I’d heard everything when I learned that a city near me has declared that dog owners should be called dog “guardians” so that their pets aren’t offended by the idea of being someone’s property. Then I read that a newly planted tree in Pittsburg may achieve the legal status of personhood.
     Whaaat?
     Through a complicated legal arrangement, a black gum tree may own the land on which it is planted, may become legally autonomous, and may become its own owner. Then it could be granted personhood with all the legal rights of a person, according to Terra0, a German group seeking this status for the tree.
     Terra0 is exploring ways to protect ecosystems through established laws regarding personhood. Its goal is the protection of nonhuman species through their own rights and rules.
     The Pittsburgh black gum tree could be the legal precedent showing that nonhuman species can gain the autonomy and protection of personhood. While this tree establishes its legal system and its root system, the Carnegie Museum of Art cares for it - perhaps like the dog “guardians” in the city near me.
​     This makes my head spin. I’m all for protecting plants and animals, especially the most fragile. But while we’re considering how to protect nonhuman species, shouldn’t we prioritize the protection of the most fragile humans among us - those still in the womb?
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     Photo: Tom Little of Terra0.