H
|
umans dominate the
Earth to an extent few are really aware of.
Biodiversity is diminishing,
and our extinction crisis is in no small part down to our clearing of ever more
wilderness to further develop the human enterprise.
If survival of any part of the web of life is dependent upon
the whole, then we are playing a dangerous game.
Deep ecology holds that the all life – human and nonhuman –
holds intrinsic value, independent of any utility for human purposes. As the
richness and diversity of life are integral to the flourishing of the biosphere
as a whole, it is only acceptable to disturb nature to the extent necessary to
satisfy vital needs.
Allowing the natural world to slip from the perceived grasp
of human control and re-wild itself requires surrender to the reality that we
do not have ultimate control. Author and activist Derrick Jensen advocates for
this ecocentric approach, arguing that we will need to relinquish our perceived
position as superior to nature, and recognize ourselves as simply a part of it.
Jensen invites us to tune in to nature’s frequency – to
observe and listen to what the natural world is telling us. Most westerners
interpret the idea of listening to nature as just a metaphor, but Jensen
insists that it is literal, making reference to indigenous cultures whose way
of life is in tune with their landbase, who understand the world as a network
of living beings with whom we can enter into a relationship. It is therefore
within reach for us to genuinely commune with nature, and not just take from
it.
This short piece – “Preservation
of the wilderness” - is from Shift magazine.
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