“The regulatory agencies that are supposed to be enforcing them in Canada or the United States,” said Kennedy, a member of the famous political dynasty, who has carved out a reputation as a passionate defender of the environment.
Kennedy, the son of the late Robert Kennedy and nephew of former president John F. Kennedy, said that he has not ruled out running for political office in the U.S. so that he could fight for his cause from the inside.
He is now a law professor and noted environmental lawyer, who has been involved in extensive litigation in the U.S.
Kennedy wants lawyers to do their part in fighting for the future of natural resources, including clean air, by being vigilant in challenging environmental polluters.
The father of six said he often brings his family to vacation in Canada because of its vast nature reserves, a resource he said defines this country and his, and therefore should not be squandered.
“So much of our culture and our political institutions and our identity are rooted in our connection to nature,” he told about 400 lawyers.
“I will stand side by side with you and fight for your resources.”
Kennedy, who has three children with severe asthma, said that clean air should be considered a right, particularly at a time that lead levels are more of a threat to the population than life-threatening illnesses like AIDS.
“I think it is self-evident that we all come into this world with a right to certain things,” he said.
Quebec Senator Gerald Beaudoin, a former law professor, built on Kennedy’s comments, saying that the right to a clean environment should be constitutionally protected under the Charter of Rights guarantee of life, liberty and security of the person.
Kennedy also stressed that environmental protection must take precedent over a healthy economy and that corporate polluters should have to take responsibility for their actions instead of governments turning a blind eye in order to foster economic growth.
While short-term economic gain can be achieved by ignoring environmental concerns, future generations will pay the price, Kennedy said.
“They’re going to pay for it with denuded landscapes and poor health and huge cleanup costs that are going to amplify over time.”
Environmental injury, he said, therefore amounts to “deficit spending.”
Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin of the Supreme Court of Canada picked up on Kennedy’s theme by reminding delegates of the aboriginal saying: “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”
Kennedy is also the co-author of the book, The Riverkeepers, which emphasizes the environmentalism is about defending democracy and the basic right of citizens.