Respect for the natural world is a uniquely human value; very few species on this planet have had the luxury to stop and consider their place in it or examine the cause and effect of natural systems around them. Yet actions proposed to preserve and conserve the environment are often whittled down until little to no substantial progress can be made. Meanwhile resources are squandered around us as our forced separation from nature leaves us feeling both powerless and apathetic. Our detachment from nature is not natural; it is the result of conditioning and socialization in a broken economic system that values profit over sustainability and actively works to maintain the gap between wealthy and poor. It is therefore necessary to change the worldview of those who so adamantly resist conservation rhetoric, ideally before the damage is too great to undo. Also essential for restoring and maintaining continued respect for the environment is to promote a nature connection in the community, hopefully ensuring a constructively pro-environment future.
The first step to restoring our connection with nature is end the wealth gained from its exploitation. It was Immanuel Kant who famously declared that a person must never be treated “merely as a means to an end” but with intrinsic respect and moral dignity. Kant was referring to humans as rational beings; I argue a need to also extend such respect to the seemingly irrational, yet intricately connected ecological web. Natural resources should certainly not be treated as a means to an end, as their ecological value far supersedes their economic worth in a made-up system of valuation. Our economic system is quite an unnatural construct. Nature is inherently fair, if not to individuals than to systems; anthropomorphically or not, nature always reaches a balance, or an equilibrium, in reactions and interactions. As humans we tend not to be so fair, even to ourselves. Economist and philosopher Adam Smith noted that stark quality in human nature, concluding that “barter and exchange” is a fundamental trait unique to humanity. Smith was an ardent capitalist, arguing that it is the natural consequence of our free rein on development. Capitalism is however a profoundly unfair system - the federal reserve indicates that as of June 2022, the top 1% wealthiest hold over 30% of the wealth in the United States; a number that has steadily grown since former President Ronald Reagan implemented his “trickle-down” economic policies in the late 1980s (link).
Such a system is intrinsically exploitative, wherein the “means for the development of production transform themselves into means of domination over, and exploitation of, the producers." In this case Marx is describing the exploitation of workers; however, “producers” can also refer to the natural resources that are overexploited in the name of profit. It is not the general public (or Marx’s proletariat) who are responsible for the bulk of natural resource exploitation, but corporations (the new bourgeoisie). For example, despite worldwide chaos in the preceding years – epidemic, war, unprecedented climatic catastrophes, political upheaval, supply chain failures – five oil and gas companies tripled their profits during the first quarter of 2022 (link). Shell gained a whopping $9.1 billion, followed by ExxonMobil ($8.8 billion), Chevron ($6.5 billion), BP ($6.2 billion), and ConocoPhillips ($4.3 billion) – all profits gained from environmentally degrading oil and gas and extorted from consumers paying exorbitant prices during times of crisis. Capitalism is recognized as one of the main drivers of increasing carbon emissions; economic growth accounts for approximately 65% of the atmospheric increase in greenhouse gasses (link). Even after the Clean Air Act of 1970, fossil fuels continued to leave their mark in the atmosphere as existing facilities such as coal-fired power plants were made exempt from restrictions. Additionally, on 30 June 2022, the United States Supreme Court rejected the 2015 Clean Power Plan rule, severely limiting the powers of the EPA under the Clean Air Act (link). Such a ruling might also impact the power of the EPA to regulation emissions entirely. Acts such as these are not enough. A cap on economic growth, on the other hand, may be a sensible solution to curbing greenhouse gas emissions; however, such a cap applied generically would disproportionately affect developing countries with little consequences for the already wealthy. Reducing emissions is thus the responsibility of already developed countries who have long benefited from unfettered economic growth.
The next question is how to use the fact of exploitation to change the mindset of those who are actively being exploited. One option is a financial incentive. The aforementioned oil and gas profits, gained from exploitation, belong to the people and to the environment. The narrowing of the gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” frees the oppressed from their oppressors, and $25 billion a quarter could go pretty far if used for conservation purposes - it could even be used to create jobs in the conservation sector. Perhaps separating a person’s self-worth from their economic status and relieving them from their financial obligation to destructive practices will also permit more ecologically-minded actions in the future. Freeing workers from the idea that their economic survival depends on maintaining the status quo of environmental destruction can aid in removing those mental blocks and social norms that prevent them from taking pro-environmental actions. Meanwhile, without someone else’s profit as a motivator, we can once again find ourselves connected to the natural resources we harvest and consume, and our place in the broader ecological system may grow clearer. Thus, the removal of wealth can be a way to create a “new kind of people” as originally described by conservationist Aldo Leopold: those with a culture that is ideal for the continuing progress of conservation action.
Reestablishing our connection to nature is essential and should start in early childhood. According to Barrable & Booth (link), half the world’s children live in urban environments with little to no access to natural areas. Bringing nature to urban areas through natural parks, community gardens and food forests, and open spaces can help foster a connection to nature, plus numerous other benefits, including: increased physical health, improved nutrition, reduced stress, and more cohesive communities (link). However, increasing green spaces must be done in an equitable way so as not to paradoxically increase wealth gaps by causing gentrification. Active community engagement throughout the planning, development, and maintenance of public green spaces is essential. It is also necessary to grow public natural areas in ways that are ecologically aware by using native plants, limiting water use, and providing designated accessible pathways. Such natural areas could be paid for by taxing the ever-loving shit out of the billionaires.