An ‘earthstruck’ human, and not a ‘human supremacist’ is a worthwhile reinvention we could think of taking upon ourselves as we are coming closer to the celebration of the 51st Earth Day, on 22nd of this month.
A FRANCIS OFM
The anthropocentric (human-centred) worldview which has colonized the contemporary lifestyle, arguably, is
at the root of the present planetary crisis. Originated as the traditional anthropology
of the Judeo-Christian and Islamic religious world, anthropocentrism epitomized human beings as the crown of creation. The trenchant criticism on the embedded culpability of
this worldview which represents a ‘human superiority complex’ is that we tend to (mis)treat the rest of the creation in absolute servitude to us. This inflated egocentric (mis)understanding of human supremacy, endorsed by the Cartesian philosophical thought, capitalism and neoliberalism, has paved an unquestionable human pathway to unbridled industrialization, commodification and consumerism. It is undeniable that this easily-trodden pathway has increased the risk of denaturing, and imperiled the existence of the planet. Earth which is a finite planet is being plundered - all in the name of supplying resources to serve humans!
The Resource-hungry Human
Deconstructing our deep-rooted bias of ‘human exceptionalism’ is the urgent need of the time, if we wish to save our planet from the brink
of collapse. Recognizing the urgency of this deconstructing process, Thomas Berry, one of twentieth century’s prescient and profound thinkers, as he is widely known, has called
us to undertake a transformative journey of a “reinventing of human within the community of life system.” He laments that humans, particularly, in Post-modern times misconceive themselves as an ‘addendum’, an ‘addition’ to earth; whether we see ourselves from our
due spiritual or scientific traditions, we fail to comprehend the appropriate relationship we share with the earth. We behave as resource- hungry, and are little satisfied with the respectful use of the earth for the sheer benefit of fulfilling humanity’s legitimate needs. The result is, as John Clammer points out, that we are drawn to ‘gigantism’, taking more than what we need and thus rapidly destroying the very basis of life. Our actions have caused dreadful environmental impact, such as the loss of biodiversity, resource depletion, climate change and stratospheric ozone depletion. Berry decries that instead of reinventing our relational ties with the earth as an ‘interdependent being’, we continue to evolve ourselves as a ‘destructive force’ to the planet. What is extremely intolerable about this unacceptable relational pattern is that we defend our culpability on the ground of the anthropocentric supremacy, that is, life on earth is ‘human-centred and all other beings are a means to human ends’. There are two misguided arguments we apply to dismiss anyone’s concern over the nature and the magnitude of the looming ecological meltdown that our lifestyle is bringing on us.
Denial
The first argument is in line with an absolute denial, namely, the ecological meltdown is
not true, it is a conspiracy. This argument is so rampant that we least expect where it comes from. It could come from anywhere and from anyone, just like we heard it coming from a world leader who was acclaimed to be advised by the best scientific brains in the world, who kept tweeting irresponsibly that climate change is a hoax. This is also the shameless story of another world leader who denied the fire in Amazon rainforest, while at the same accusing the aboriginal communities responsible for causing it. Denial and accusation in the same breath! Greenpeace Brazil challenged the folly of his denial by projecting the data along with satellite images of the fire, stating that the 2020 fire was the worst ever in the Amazon, which burned 13000 sq km of forest. An antecedent to this kind of denial echoed with overriding environmental skepticism in India, too, in 2014: “The climate has not changed. We have changed.”
Delusion
The second argument falls in line with a delusional thinking, which states that we, humans, possess the innovative wisdom
to resolve any crisis and we don’t have to
be over-concerned about the future of the planet. As empowering as it sounds, we know from experience that this argument is both ridiculously delusional and deceptive. Since 1970 or even before that, there have been alarming reminders that global biodiversity has declined nearly a third. We have not been able to redirect or stop the downward trajectory of the biodiversity loss. In fact, the loss has been accelerated than being controlled, or prevented! Contextually, the pandemic slaps us on the face with our delusional thinking. To date, the virus has affected 122 million (126,205, 685) and killed 2.7 million (2,769,615) lives. True, vaccines are being rolled out. But our ability to find a potential solution (vaccine), came at the cost of 2.7 million people’s lives and a wide-ranging global suffering! Still, we claim audaciously, we are competent to handle any crisis!
Our focus on the current pandemic has de-emphasised many sensitive ecological issues of importance that the world was concerned about in the pre-Covid 19 times. One very important issue was about the ‘ecological credit crunch’ that was reported to be more crucial than the financial one that we were heading towards. It was indicated that we were overusing earth’s resources nearly 30 percent more than earth could recreate every year. The glaciers are melting, and the sea level is rising. The Annual Report of the World Wildlife Fund, as early as the year 2008, provided us with the red flag of warning, “We have only one planet. Its capacity to support a thriving diversity of species, human indeed, is large but fundamentally limited. When human demand on this capacity exceeds what is available – when we surpass ecological limits – we erode the health of the Earth’s living system. Ultimately this loss threatens human wellbeing.” Agreeing to this prediction, the pandemic leads us back to read this report afresh. If we have our conscience alive in us, we would surely make a candid admission of our fault that our well-being has been threatened, and that we have caused to erode the health of the planet by pushing hard its ecological limits.
The ‘Earthstruck’ Human
Serving the legitimate needs and interests
of humanity is far from serving its greed, or illegitimate needs. The human existential dependence on earth, by any crucible of argument, cannot be denied. Earth is our home and we find the legitimate fulfilment of all human needs from the bounties of earth. This undeniable existential dependence calls us to treat the planet with utmost respect, and with a responsibility-provoking consciousness towards its well-being and preservation, which the astronaut Michael Collins called as the consciousness of being ‘earthstruck’: Earth is to be treasured and nurtured, something precious that must endure.
An ‘earthstruck’ human, and not a ‘human supremacist’ is a worthwhile reinvention we could think of taking upon ourselves as we are coming closer to the celebration of the 51st Earth Day, on 22nd of this month.
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