The Minnesota Senate has introduced a resolution designating April as Ecocide Awareness and Prevention Month. This initiative highlights the severe environmental damage caused by actions such as the use of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, which resulted in significant health issues for millions. The resolution defines ecocide as unlawful acts that lead to substantial environmental harm and cites various contemporary examples, including oil spills and deforestation. It emphasizes the growing legal recognition of ecocide as a human rights crime, comparable to genocide, and notes that several states, including Vermont and New York, are beginning to legislate against it.

The resolution also addresses the increasing frequency and cost of environmental disasters in Minnesota, which have escalated in recent years, placing a financial burden on taxpayers. It calls for accountability from those responsible for environmental damage and advocates for laws that would deter future ecocide. By proclaiming April as a month for awareness and prevention, the Senate aims to promote public engagement and programs that address environmental degradation, particularly its disproportionate impact on Indigenous, rural, and minority communities.