Environmental
Humanity’s relationship with its physical environment is complex and interwoven. How humans treat Mother Nature is reflected in how they treat each other; how they treat each other is reflected in how they treat Mother Nature. These dynamics reinforce each other. Even when impacts aren’t immediate, they often manifest later.
Humans have objectified and exploited Mother Nature for personal gain. They’ve disrespected and ignored the order of the universe that manages chaos. They’ve assumed they can do whatever they want with the natural world.
Many humans worship the so-called “survival of the fittest.” They use resources (and people) until they use them up, discard them, and move on. They dump toxic byproducts into disadvantaged neighborhoods populated by people of color.
In The Convivial Society newsletter, L.M. Sacacas examines “how technologies mediate experience, and how they frame and challenge our moral projects.” He believes, “Most of us have some understanding of what a just society and the good life entail; I think it’s critically important to understand how technology relates to both.”
This short-term pursuit of profit is destructive. Marty Mulvihill, Gretta Goldenman and Arlene Blum argue
As the United States comes to grips with the climate crisis, fossil fuels will slowly recede from being primary sources of energy. That’s the good news. But the bad news is that the petrochemical industry is counting on greatly increasing the production of plastics and toxic chemicals made from fossil fuels to profit from its reserves of oil and gas…”
On July 15, 2021, Ezra Klein reported
“…Decades of climate activism got millions of people into the streets but they haven’t turned the tide on emissions or investments. Citing the journal Nature, Malm observes that, measuring by capacity, 49% of the fossil-fuel-burning energy infrastructure was installed after 2004. Add in expected emissions from projects in planning, and we are well toward warming the world by 2 degrees Celsius — a terrifying prospect most world governments pledged to avoid. Hope was that Covid would alter the world’s course, but it hasn’t. Oil consumption is back to pre-crisis levels, and demand for coal, the dirtiest of fuels, is rising.…”
A holistic democracy movement could undo these patterns by advancing a deep respect for Life, which is vital to a fruitful relationship with the environment. A win-win (positive-sum) harmonious relationship with the environment would benefit everyone.
The life force that drives Nature is awe-inspiring and mysterious. The backpacker’s “leave no trace” creed is a valuable principle. Subsidies for solar and wind power and support for electric cars hasten the trend away from fossil fuels — and prevent the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. Support for green energy in rural areas strengthens local economies. Farm-to-market projects boost organic agriculture, which protects the environment.
The bottom line is respect for Life and constantly looking for ways to live harmoniously with each other and the environment. As humans partner with Nature, we find Nature herself can undo much of the damage we’ve done.
The above linked resources support the arguments presented in this chapter.
The above linked tools, some tested and others untested, present methods that compassion-minded people can use to advance a holistic democracy movement, whether or not they identify with this movement and explicitly commit to mutual support for self-improvement.
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