Dr. Suzuki visit's Richard n Norie's "Garden of Paradise" in Ecuador
Channel: Chris Casady
Date: 2013-05-13

A lawsuit in the Garden of Paradise! The provincial government of Loja widens a road and, in turn, narrows a river causing it to flood and change course, wiping out Richard and Norie's new orchard. They win the first case exercising a new Ecuadorian law that protects the "Rights of Nature" never heretofore protected. The right of the Vilcabamba river to flow unimpeded, no kidding, it's a basic right the river now has legally. Despite the "victory" of a verdict in the favor reimbursement for damages has never been collected. Richard and Norie eat $50K. That's what it took for the hundreds of trucks of dirt that were brought in to replace lost soil, restore the orchard and reinforce the river's edge with tires.