This digital magazine on environmentalism will support you with information and inspiration. We'll give you free access to a range of creative outlets and conversations all about the climate crisis.
directly affects our human-nature relationship as "the bourgeoi- sie can not exist without constantly revolutionising the instru- ments of production, and thereby relations of production, and with them the whole relations of society" (Marx 476). As corpora- tions constantly seek new raw materials and cheaper labour for greater economic growth, this proportionately negatively affects the state of our planet. For instance, fossil fuel companies such as BP, Shell and Enquest opportunistically expand their opera- tions into previously untouched areas which consequently leads to oil spills, the destruction of natural habitats and an increase in carbon emissions. In fact, more than half of the oil spills in the UK over the last decade have ended up in marine protected ar- eas, not only endangering the planet, but endangering already threatened habitats and species. This damaging, yet seemingly imperative need for constant expansion mirrors capitalist ideolo- gy and alienates humans from not only the products and conse- quences of their labour, but also the natural environment. Hence, this has damaged our human-nature relationship as we have begun to view nature as a resource to be sold as opposed to an environment to be nourished. Until our perspective shifts from one that views our planet as a product to exploit for profit, our environment will continue to rapidly deteriorate.
Historically, scientists and geologists have believed that the state of our planet was beyond human intervention and that "hu- man chronologies were vastly insignificant compared with the vastness of geological time; that human activities were insignifi- cant compared with the force of geological processes" (Chakra- barty 206). Whilst this may well have once been the case, "There are now so many of us cutting down trees and burning so many billis of tons of fossil fuels that we have indeed become geologi- cal agents" (206).
The idea of humans as geological agents is a relatively new one, and this shift in perspective marks a change, as advances in technology have enabled us to manipulate the planet to such an extent that much of the damage is irreversible. To view humans as geological agents frames our species as a force on a par with historical forces that have driven past mass extinctions. Thus, this shift not only redefines our human-nature relationship, but also places an enhanced sense of ethical responsibility on us as a species. As geological agents, we are no longer passive inhab- itants of the earth as we historically assumed, but active partici- pants in shaping its future. This realisation forces us to confront the reality that our actions carry weight on a geological scale, potentially altering life on earth irreversibly. With this in mind, one may consider whether we are prepared to take responsibil- ity for the irreversible changes we've set in motion and how we may also contain and alleviate the damage to ensure a some- what sustainable future.
Our planet faces irreversible damage if action is not taken to change our human-nature relationship. Due to our current in- dustrialised DSP, society's outlook on the environmental crisis is clouded by expansionism, economic and social gain.
This short-sighted perspective does not only prioritise profit over ecological sustainability, but also does not account for the finite amount of resources that our Earth has to offer. In order to address the climate crisis, it is vital that this perspective shifts to one that prioritises sustainability and long-term envi- ronmental health. As geological agents, we must rethink our eco- nomic structure, our societal values and priorities, and our desire for constant expansionism in order to take responsibility for our global crisis.