Week 6: Sustainability Goals Require Radical Efforts From New Generations
The quest for environmental justice and sustainability, like many other goals worth fighting for, requires an organized social movement. Without the development of a unified, radical, youth-led movement for environmental justice, efforts to protect the planet will be in vain. No social movement for justice has even been achieved through accepting incrementalism or staying silent on issues that matter. One can look to the fight for racial justice and civil rights, a movement that is still pushing forward today. The successes of the movement have been dependent on the willingness of the people to come together and take action. Even when the odds are thoroughly stacked against the push for justice, brave communities willingly take risks in order to struggle for what’s right. Gil Scott-Heron exclaimed, “The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised, will not be televised, will not be televised, the revolution will be no rerun brothers, the revolution will be live”. Historic efforts for justice have required revolution as a prerequisite for success. At a certain point, it is no longer enough to wait idly by, or ask the powerful nicely. Eventually, in order to achieve justice, the people must organize to push for revolution. It has become abundantly clear that environmental justice cannot be achieved without a long-term organized effort.
The idea of revolution in bringing about change is a common thought. Miller and Spoolman detail a strategy for another form of revolution that has similarities and differences from what I previously mentioned. They make a comparison to the ideals of the Industrial Revolution, during which there was a shift in industry. According to Miller and Spoolman, “The sustainability movement is a decentralized global movement arising mostly from the bottom up, based on the actions of a variety of individuals” (Miller and Spoolman, 695). They advocate for a shift from an unsustainable path to a sustainable path. For example, this includes a transition from our current status of threatening biodiversity, to a situation in which biodiversity is firmly protected. I agree thoroughly with the idea that a revolution for environmental justice must be a global effort led by those who are most affected by the impacts of climate change. In developing a true revolution, I would advocate for strategies utilized by other justice movements. This includes boycotts, protects, and public dissent against corporations and governments that fuel an agenda that values economic prosperity for the already-rich, over the wellbeing of the planet and its most vulnerable people.
There are organizations that are actively advocating for an environmental revolution. Many of these groups engage with multiple philosophies and view environmentalism as an intersectional issue. Take for example, ecosocialism, in which activists are pushing for a system in which democratic socialism replaces capitalism. They are of the belief that true environmental sustainability cannot occur under a system of capitalism in which wealthy corporation’s profits take precedence over natural resources and biodiversity. According to VICE, “The concept is basically that environmental protection is incompatible with capitalism, and the best (or, some would argue, only) way to fight climate change is to move towards a socialist society. (VICE). I agree with the belief that true environmental sustainability and protection can not be reached while capitalism is still allowed to continue in its current form. A system in which economic prosperity for the powerful is paramount cannot provide adequate care for the Earth or its incredibly endangered flora and fauna. In developing the ecosocialist movement in pursuit of a revolution, young people must be on the front lines in working towards a world that values sustainability, biodiversity, and environmentalism.
Word Count: 613
Question: Is it possible to take an ethical approach to environmental sustainability without radical change? In other words, can environmentalism still be achieved within our current political, economic, and social system?
References:
Spoolman, Scott, and G. Miller. 2016. Living in the Environment. 19th ed. Mason, OH: CENGAGE Learning Custom Publishing.
Rogers , Kaleigh. “What Is Ecosocialism?” VICE News, VICE
