A petition has been submitted to Ecuador's copyright office to recognise Los Cedros cloud forest as the co-creator of the composition Song of the Cedars. The action by the More than Human Life (Moth) project is the first legal attempt to recognise an ecosystem's moral authorship of a work of art.
The song contains melodies of echo-locating bats, howler monkeys, rustling leaves and even a subterranean recording of the soil taken from the spot where a new species of fungus was collected and described.
It was composed by the musician Cosmo Sheldrake, writer Robert Macfarlane, mycologist Giuliana Furci and law scholar Cesar Rodriguez-Garavito during a field trip to Ecuador.
The song was created when the group set up camp in the high forest during an expedition organised by Macfarlane as part of his research for Is a River Alive?, his new book about rivers and the rights of nature movement, which will be published in May.
"It wasn't written within the forest, it was written with the forest," said Macfarlane. "This was absolutely and inextricably an act of co-authorship with the set of processes and relations and beings that that forest and its rivers comprise. We were briefly part of that ongoing being of the forest, and we couldn't have written it without the forest. The forest wrote it with us."
Denne historien er fra October 26, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 26, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Patience finally snapped at Old Trafford after bosses grew tired of the excuses
There were plenty of times over the past 14 months when sacking Erik ten Hag would have been justified but Manchester United clung on in the hope he could somehow turn things around.
Ten Hag saga is major black eye for Ineos as United's brand is dying
Ratcliffe now has a hugely important decision if his club are to stop being a fading heritage exhibition
Taking United job would be enormous risk for Amorim
job would be enormous risk for Amorim
A view from the stands Going full Woodward is incompetent or cowardly
It was about half an hour after the final whistle at the FA Cup final when I had my exchange with Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Van Nistelrooy has learned from the very best coaches
Dutchman took inspiration from Bielsa, Ferguson, Simeone and Robson in developing his own style
Rodri and Bonmati scoop top prizes as Real boycott big night
Rodri and Aitana Bonmati have been named winners at the 2024 Ballon d'Or at football's annual awards ceremony in Paris, their trophies handed out at the end of a bizarre day in which Real Madrid's delegation opted not to attend.
Stanway: Lionesses must evolve as plateau is 'inevitable'
Georgia Stanway said it is \"inevitable\" that England will plateau after their huge success and that they need to reinvent themselves to avoid becoming predictable.
Everything's starting to come together
Jack Draper's improvement in his breakthrough season has resulted from his greater fearlessness under pressure
Verstappen's ruthless streak on show again in Norris battle
Two races and two flashpoints, the world championship battle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris is in full flow.
Curry poised for England return against All Blacks
Sale flanker expected to start after recovery from hip injury that threatened his career
