environmental consciousness essay points

Essay on Environmental Consciousness

Students are often asked to write an essay on Environmental Consciousness in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on Environmental Consciousness

Understanding environmental consciousness.

Environmental consciousness is about being aware of the natural world and our impact on it. It involves understanding the importance of conservation, recycling, and reducing our carbon footprint.

The Importance of Environmental Consciousness

Our actions affect the environment. By being environmentally conscious, we can help preserve the planet for future generations. This includes simple actions like recycling, using less water, and reducing energy consumption.

Our Role in Environmental Consciousness

Everyone can contribute to environmental consciousness. Small actions like picking up litter, planting trees, or using public transport can make a big difference. It’s our responsibility to protect our planet.

250 Words Essay on Environmental Consciousness

Introduction.

Environmental consciousness refers to the awareness and understanding of the relationship between individuals and their surroundings. It embodies the choices and actions taken to preserve and improve the health of our planet. In the current era, this consciousness is not a luxury but a dire necessity.

Driving Factors

The role of education.

Education plays a pivotal role in fostering environmental consciousness. By integrating environmental topics into the curriculum, students can comprehend the implications of their actions on the environment. This knowledge empowers them to make informed decisions and promote sustainable practices.

Individual and Collective Responsibility

Environmental consciousness is both an individual and collective responsibility. On an individual level, adopting eco-friendly habits, like reducing waste and conserving energy, can make a significant difference. Collectively, communities and governments can implement policies and regulations that protect the environment.

In conclusion, environmental consciousness is a critical aspect of our existence. It is a collective endeavour that requires the participation of every individual, community, and nation. By fostering this consciousness, we can ensure a sustainable and healthy planet for future generations.

500 Words Essay on Environmental Consciousness

The environment is the foundation of life, offering the resources we need to survive and thrive. However, our actions often neglect the health of our planet, leading to devastating consequences such as climate change, deforestation, and pollution. This essay explores the concept of environmental consciousness, its importance, and how it can be cultivated among individuals and societies.

Environmental consciousness refers to the awareness and understanding of the environmental issues that our planet faces and the commitment to take action to mitigate these problems. It is not just about knowing what’s happening to our environment, but also about feeling a sense of responsibility to protect it. This consciousness is crucial because it motivates individuals and societies to make environmentally-friendly choices that can help sustain the planet for future generations.

Moreover, environmental consciousness can influence policy-making. Governments and corporations are more likely to implement eco-friendly policies and practices when their constituents or consumers demand it. Therefore, a society’s level of environmental consciousness can significantly impact the health of the planet.

Promoting Environmental Consciousness

Promoting environmental consciousness is a multifaceted task that requires collective efforts. Education is a powerful tool in this regard. By integrating environmental education into school curriculums, we can equip the younger generation with the knowledge and skills they need to make sustainable choices.

Moreover, individuals can promote environmental consciousness through their daily actions and decisions. By choosing to live sustainably, we can influence others in our community and contribute to a larger cultural shift towards environmental responsibility.

Environmental consciousness is more than just an understanding of environmental issues; it is a commitment to protect and preserve our planet. As we face unprecedented environmental challenges, it is crucial that we cultivate this consciousness in ourselves and in our societies. Through education, media, and individual actions, we can promote environmental consciousness and drive the changes necessary to ensure a sustainable future. Remember, every action counts, and our collective efforts can make a significant difference.

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Essay on Environmental Consciousness

Introduction to Environmental Consciousness

In today’s rapidly changing world, environmental consciousness has become more crucial than ever before. Defined as the awareness of the impact of human actions on the environment and the commitment to fostering sustainable practices, environmental consciousness is a cornerstone of responsible citizenship. As climate change accelerates, biodiversity dwindles, and pollution pervades our air, water, and soil, understanding the urgency of environmental issues is paramount. This essay explores the significance of environmental consciousness, its benefits, influencing factors, strategies for cultivation, challenges, and future directions. By embracing environmental consciousness, individuals and societies can pave the way toward a more sustainable and harmonious relationship with our planet.

Historical Perspective

Understanding environmental consciousness requires a dive into history, where human interactions with the environment have evolved over millennia. Throughout history, civilizations have demonstrated varying awareness and stewardship toward their natural surroundings.

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• Pre-Industrial Era : Human environmental impact was relatively limited before the Industrial Revolution . Indigenous societies often lived in harmony with nature, relying on sustainable practices and respecting the balance of ecosystems.
• Industrial Revolution : The introduction of industrialization during the 18th and 19th centuries saw a dramatic change. Mass production, urbanization, and reliance on fossil fuels led to unprecedented environmental degradation. Deforestation , pollution, and resource exploitation became rampant.
• Emergence of Environmental Movements : The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the emergence of environmental movements in response to growing concerns about pollution and resource depletion. Figures like John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt advocated for preserving natural landscapes, leading to the establishment of national parks and conservation efforts.
• Silent Spring and Modern Environmentalism : Rachel Carson’s seminal work “Silent Spring” in 1962 ignited public consciousness about the adverse effects of pesticides and chemicals on ecosystems. This sparked the modern environmental movement, calling for stricter regulations, environmental awareness, and conservation efforts.
• Environmental Legislation and International Cooperation : Historic environmental laws, such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Clean Water and Air Acts, were passed in the second half of the 20th century. Internationally, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement aimed to address global environmental challenges through cooperation and emissions reduction targets.
• Technological Advancements and Green Innovations : Advances in technology have enabled the development of renewable energy sources, sustainable agriculture practices, and eco-friendly technologies. Green innovations continue to drive progress toward a more sustainable future.
• Shift in Public Awareness and Attitudes : Over time, public awareness and attitudes towards environmental issues have evolved. The integration of environmental consciousness into corporate policies, public policy, and educational curriculum reflects a rising understanding of the connection between environmental health and human well-being.
• Challenges and Opportunities : Despite progress, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental injustice persist. However, increased awareness and collective action offer opportunities for transformative change towards a more sustainable and equitable future.

Importance of Environmental Consciousness

Environmental consciousness is paramount in today’s world due to several compelling reasons:

• Preservation of Ecosystems: Ecosystems provide essential services such as clean air, fresh water, fertile soil, and biodiversity, vital for human survival and well-being. Environmental consciousness helps us recognize the interconnectedness of all living beings and the delicate balance required to sustain healthy ecosystems.
• Mitigation of Climate Change: Climate change poses one of the most significant threats to global stability, impacting weather patterns, sea levels, and ecosystems worldwide. People and environmentally conscious societies cut back on greenhouse gas emissions, employ renewable energy sources, and support laws that lessen the effects of climate change.
• Protection of Biodiversity: Besides providing vital ecosystem services like pollination, pest control, and nutrient cycling, biodiversity is the cornerstone of healthy ecosystems. Environmental consciousness encourages efforts to conserve and restore biodiversity, safeguarding the planet’s rich array of plant and animal species for future generations.
• Sustainable Resource Management: Human activities, including deforestation, overfishing, and excessive consumption of natural resources, have depleted Earth’s finite resources alarmingly. Environmental consciousness promotes sustainable resource management practices that ensure the responsible use of resources while minimizing waste and environmental degradation.
• Public Health and Well-being: Environmental degradation, pollution, and exposure to harmful chemicals have profound implications for human health and well-being. Environmental consciousness advocates for clean air, safe drinking water, and toxin-free environments, safeguarding public health and reducing the burden of environmentally-induced diseases.
• Economic Sustainability: Embracing environmental consciousness can drive innovation, create green jobs, and foster economic resilience in the face of ecological challenges. Sustainable business practices, eco-tourism initiatives, and investments in renewable energy technologies are examples of how environmental consciousness can contribute to long-term economic sustainability.
• Ethical Responsibility: Our moral and ethical duty as stewards of the earth is to safeguard the environment for present and future generations. Environmental consciousness cultivates a sense of environmental ethics, inspiring individuals and communities to act in ways that promote environmental justice, equity, and compassion for all living beings.

Understanding Environmental Issues

Environmental issues encompass a wide array of challenges that affect the health and sustainability of the planet. We can develop informed strategies to address these issues effectively by understanding them. Here are some key environmental issues:

• Climate Change: An increase in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere brings about long-term changes in global temperature patterns, which we call climate change . As a result of human activities like deforestation, burning fossil fuels, and industrial operations, greenhouse gas emissions build up and lead to temperature increases, sea level rise, extreme weather events, disruptions to ecosystems, and disruptions to agriculture.
• Biodiversity Loss: Biodiversity loss occurs when ecosystems lose their variety of species and genetic diversity. Habitat destruction, pollution, overexploitation of natural resources, invasive species, and climate change are primary drivers of biodiversity loss. Ecosystem resilience, stability, and species’ capacity to adapt to shifting environmental conditions are all at risk from biodiversity loss.
• Pollution: The term “ pollution ” refers to the discharge of dangerous substances into the environment, such as soil, water, air, and noise pollution. Industrial activities, transportation, agriculture, and improper waste disposal contribute to pollution, posing significant risks to human health, wildlife, and ecosystems.
• Deforestation: Deforestation involves the clearance of forests for agriculture, logging, urbanization, and infrastructure development. Deforestation disrupts ecosystems, contributes to habitat loss and fragmentation, reduces carbon storage capacity, and accelerates climate change. Forests are crucial in regulating the global climate, conserving biodiversity, and providing essential ecosystem services.
• Resource Depletion: The unsustainable exploitation and use of natural resources , including water, minerals, fossil fuels, and arable land, is known as resource depletion. Overexploitation of resources leads to environmental degradation, habitat destruction, soil erosion, and biodiversity loss. Sustainable resource management practices are essential to ensure the availability of resources for future generations.
• Ocean Acidification: The absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere causes ocean acidification, lowering the pH of seawater. Ocean acidification harms coral reefs, shellfish, and other creatures that depend on calcium carbonate to construct their shells and skeletons. Ocean acidification threatens marine biodiversity, fisheries, and coastal communities that rely on healthy oceans for food security and livelihoods.
• Waste Management: Inadequate waste management practices contribute to pollution, habitat destruction, and threats to human health and the environment. Landfills, incineration, and improper disposal of hazardous waste pose air, water, and soil quality risks. Recycling, composting, and reducing waste generation are essential to sustainable waste management strategies.

Benefits of Environmental Consciousness

Environmental consciousness offers many benefits beyond individual well-being to encompass global sustainability and the planet’s health. Here are some key benefits:

• Preservation of Ecosystems: Environmental consciousness fosters an appreciation for the interconnectedness of all living beings and the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems. Communities and individuals may contribute to preserving biodiversity, natural habitats, and the integrity of ecosystems vital to human life by implementing sustainable practices and supporting conservation initiatives.
• Mitigation of Climate Change: Taking effective action when informed of the causes and implications of climate change allows people to mitigate the effects of global warming and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is known as environmental consciousness. Embracing renewable energy sources, reducing energy consumption, and advocating for policies prioritizing climate action are vital strategies environmental consciousness supports.
• Health and Well-being: Environmental consciousness promotes environments that support human health and well-being. Clean air, safe drinking water, access to green spaces, and reduced exposure to harmful chemicals and pollutants contribute to improved physical and mental health outcomes. Emphasizing environmental health and reducing the risk of diseases caused by the environment can enhance people’s quality of life.
• Economic Sustainability: Embracing environmental consciousness can drive innovation, create green jobs, and foster economic resilience. Investments in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, eco-tourism, and green technologies can spur economic growth while promoting environmental sustainability. By integrating environmental considerations into business practices and policy decisions, societies can achieve long-term economic prosperity without compromising ecological integrity.
• Social Justice and Equity: By tackling environmental injustices and defending the rights of vulnerable people disproportionately affected by environmental deterioration, environmental consciousness fosters social justice and egalitarian ideals. Environmental consciousness demands inclusive and equitable solutions that prioritize the needs of vulnerable people and advance environmental justice because it recognizes the interconnection between social and ecological challenges.
• Connection to Nature: In addition to encouraging amazement, wonder, and caring for the earth, environmental consciousness fosters a strong bond with nature. Spending time in nature, practicing conservation activities, and engaging in environmental education and advocacy can cultivate a profound appreciation for Earth’s beauty and biodiversity. Environmental consciousness enriches individuals’ lives and strengthens their commitment to environmental protection by fostering a sense of belonging and responsibility towards nature.
• Intergenerational Equity: Comprehending the environment implies that it is our duty to preserve the planet for the coming generations. People can guarantee future generations will have access to the opportunities and resources required for a thriving existence by embracing sustainable habits, protecting the environment, and supporting laws advancing intergenerational justice.

Factors Influencing Environmental Consciousness

Numerous elements influence people’s attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and social conventions about environmental issues, shaping environmental consciousness. Understanding these factors is essential for promoting environmental awareness and fostering sustainable practices. Here are some key influencers:

• Education and Awareness: By imparting knowledge about environmental issues, ecological concepts, and sustainable behaviors, education plays a crucial role in influencing people’s awareness of environmental challenges. Programs for environmental education in colleges, universities, and local communities help people become more aware of environmental issues and provide them with the knowledge they need to make decisions that will benefit sustainability and conservation.
• Cultural and Societal Values: Cultural beliefs, traditions, and societal norms profoundly influence environmental consciousness. Cultures that value biodiversity preservation, harmony with the natural world, and resource stewardship are typically more environmentally sensitive. Cultural attitudes towards consumption, waste, and the relationship between humans and the environment shape individual and collective behaviors toward environmental sustainability.
• Government Policies and Regulations: By creating guidelines, rewards, and procedures for environmental protection, laws and regulations from the government greatly influence public awareness of environmental issues. Environmental policies concerning pollution control, conservation, renewable energy, and land use influence individual and corporate behaviors, investment decisions, and societal attitudes toward environmental stewardship.
• Technological Advancements: By fostering sustainable development, increasing resource efficiency, and offering answers to environmental problems, technological advancements can impact environmental consciousness. Discussing technical topics for presentation , such as advancements in waste management systems, green infrastructure, renewable energy technology, and environmental monitoring tools, highlights the importance of adopting eco-friendly practices and reducing environmental impact. The ability to adopt eco-friendly practices and lessen their environmental impact is made possible by advancements in waste management systems, green infrastructure, renewable energy technology, and environmental monitoring tools.
• Media and Communication Channels: Environmental issues greatly influence public perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors, especially through mass media, social media, and communication channels. Environmental advocacy campaigns, documentaries, news coverage, and social media activism raise awareness about environmental challenges, mobilize public support for conservation efforts, and inspire collective action to address pressing environmental issues.
• Economic Incentives and Disincentives: Economic factors influence environmental consciousness by shaping consumer choices, business practices, and policy decisions related to environmental sustainability. Carbon pricing mechanisms, tax breaks, and market-based subsidies encourage investments in eco-friendly goods, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. Conversely, economic pressures, consumption patterns, and profit motives may prioritize short-term gains over long-term environmental sustainability.
• Personal Values and Beliefs: Individual values, beliefs, and personal experiences significantly shape environmental consciousness. Environmental ethics, concern for future generations, spiritual connections to nature, and experiences of environmental degradation or conservation efforts influence individuals’ attitudes, motivations, and behaviors toward environmental stewardship.
• Social Networks and Peer Influence: Social networks, peer groups, and interpersonal relationships influence environmental consciousness by shaping social norms, collective identities, and behaviors related to environmental sustainability. Peer influence, social norms, and community engagement initiatives can amplify environmental messages, foster collaboration, and catalyze collective action toward shared environmental goals.

Strategies for Cultivating

Here are detailed explanations for each of the strategies for cultivating environmental consciousness:

Education and Outreach Programs:

• School Curriculum Integration: Incorporating environmental education into school curricula helps students develop a foundational understanding of environmental issues, sustainability concepts, and conservation principles from an early age.
• Community Workshops and Seminars: Organizing workshops, seminars, and public lectures on environmental topics provide opportunities for community members to learn about local environmental issues, engage in discussions, and exchange ideas for sustainable solutions.
• Online Resources and Outreach Materials: Giving people access to instructional materials, interactive technologies, and internet resources helps them learn more about environmental concerns and find workable solutions for sustainable living.

Sustainable Lifestyle Choices:

• Energy Conservation: Encouraging energy-efficient practices such as using LED lighting, reducing appliance usage, and optimizing heating and cooling systems helps individuals minimize their carbon footprint and conserve natural resources.
• Waste Reduction and Recycling: Promoting waste reduction, recycling, and composting initiatives encourages responsible consumption patterns, reduces landfill waste, and conserves valuable resources.
• Transportation Alternatives: Encouraging the use of public transportation, carpooling, biking, and walking reduces greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and traffic congestion while promoting healthier and more sustainable modes of transportation.

Community Engagement and Advocacy:

• Local Environmental Initiatives: Supporting local environmental organizations, grassroots movements, and community-based projects fosters a sense of community ownership and empowers individuals to take collective action toward environmental conservation and sustainability.
• Policy Advocacy and Civic Engagement: Engaging in advocacy efforts, writing letters to policymakers, and participating in public hearings and decision-making processes enable individuals to voice their concerns, influence policy decisions, and advocate for stronger environmental protections at local, regional, and national levels.
• Volunteer Opportunities: Participating in environmental clean-up events, habitat restoration projects, and tree-planting initiatives provides hands-on opportunities for individuals to contribute to environmental conservation efforts and make a tangible impact in their communities.

Corporate Responsibility and Green Initiatives:

• Sustainable Business Practices: Encouraging companies to implement sustainable practices, like environmentally friendly production techniques, energy-efficient technologies, and ethical material procurement, fosters corporate social responsibility and lessens supply chain environmental effects.
• Environmental Certification Programs: Supporting and recognizing businesses that achieve environmental certifications such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or B Corp certification encourages companies to prioritize sustainability and transparency in their operations.
• Consumer Awareness and Support: Customers informed about the effects of their purchases on the environment and society can better support eco-conscious companies, make wise decisions, and increase demand for sustainable goods and services.

Challenges in Advancing Environmental Consciousness

Societies can overcome these obstacles and create a more resilient, fair, and sustainable future by tackling the underlying causes of environmental deterioration and encouraging holistic approaches to sustainability.

• Climate Change: The existential threat of climate change poses significant challenges in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, mitigating climate impacts, and transitioning to low-carbon economies. Limited political will, vested interests, and inadequate international cooperation hinder progress in implementing effective climate policies and achieving global climate goals.
• Biodiversity Loss: Accelerated rates of biodiversity loss, habitat degradation, and species extinction threaten ecosystem resilience, food security, and human well-being. Fragmented conservation efforts, habitat destruction, invasive species, and illegal wildlife trade exacerbate biodiversity decline, necessitating urgent action to protect and restore ecosystems.
• Resource Scarcity: Depletion of natural resources, including freshwater, forests, minerals, and arable land, poses challenges to sustainable development and economic growth. Unsustainable consumption patterns, overexploitation of resources, and unequal distribution of resources exacerbate resource scarcity, leading to conflicts, social unrest, and environmental degradation.
• Pollution and Waste Management: Persistent pollution from industrial activities, transportation, agriculture, and waste disposal threatens human health, ecosystems, and the environment. Inadequate waste management infrastructure, plastic pollution, chemical contaminants, and air and water pollution contribute to environmental degradation and public health risks.
• Environmental Injustice: Environmental degradation disproportionately affects marginalized communities, indigenous peoples, and vulnerable populations, exacerbating social inequalities and injustices. Environmental racism, unequal access to resources, and lack of representation in decision-making processes perpetuate environmental injustice and hinder efforts to achieve equitable and sustainable development.
• Policy Implementation and Governance: Inconsistent enforcement of environmental regulations, weak governance structures, and regulatory capture by vested interests impede effective policy implementation and enforcement. Corruption, lack of transparency, and regulatory loopholes undermine efforts to address environmental challenges and hold polluters accountable.
• Technological and Economic Barriers: High costs, technological limitations, and economic barriers hinder the adoption of sustainable technologies and practices. Transitioning to renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and circular economy models requires significant investments, innovation, and supportive policies to overcome technological and economic barriers.
• Population Growth and Urbanization: Rapid population growth, urbanization, and unsustainable urban sprawl strain infrastructure, natural resources, and ecosystems. Pressures on land, water, and energy resources intensify in urban areas, exacerbating pollution, congestion, and social disparities, necessitating sustainable urban planning and management solutions.
• Behavioral Change and Public Awareness: Promoting widespread adoption of sustainable behaviors, consumer choices, and lifestyle changes poses challenges in raising public awareness, fostering environmental consciousness, and overcoming inertia and resistance to change. Education, communication strategies, and social norms are critical in shaping attitudes and behaviors toward sustainability.
• Interconnectedness of Environmental Issues: Addressing complex environmental challenges requires holistic and interdisciplinary approaches that recognize the interconnectedness of social, economic, and ecological systems. Siloed approaches, sectoral interests, and lack of integration hinder efforts to achieve sustainable development goals and address systemic environmental issues.

Overcoming Barriers

• Denial and Apathy: Raise awareness about the urgency and severity of environmental challenges through education and outreach efforts. Highlight the interconnectedness of environmental issues with human health, economy, and well-being to foster more significant concern and engagement.
• Economic and Political Interests: Advocate for policies prioritizing environmental protection and sustainability over short-term economic gains. Hold corporations and policymakers accountable for their environmental impacts and advocate for corporate responsibility and transparency.
• Convenience and Lifestyle Choices: Promote the adoption of sustainable lifestyle choices through education, incentives, and accessible alternatives. Make eco-friendly products and services more affordable, accessible, and convenient for consumers.
• Psychological Distance from Environmental Issues: Bridge the psychological distance between individuals and environmental issues by connecting personal experiences with broader ecological concerns. Share stories, narratives, and personal anecdotes illustrating the tangible impacts of environmental degradation and the importance of conservation efforts.
• Lack of Access to Information and Resources: Improve access to reliable information, resources, and tools for environmental education and sustainable living. Invest in digital platforms, community centers, and public libraries as hubs for environmental learning and resource sharing.
• Cultural and Social Norms: Challenge cultural norms and social attitudes prioritizing consumption, waste, and environmental degradation. Promote cultural values and traditions that celebrate harmony with nature, respect for biodiversity, and intergenerational stewardship.
• Environmental Injustice and Inequality: Address environmental injustices and inequalities by advocating for policies prioritizing marginalized communities’ needs and rights. Support grassroots movements, community organizing, and initiatives that promote environmental justice and equity.
• Technological and Infrastructural Barriers: Invest in green technologies, renewable energy infrastructure, and sustainable urban planning to overcome technological and infrastructural barriers to sustainability. Support research and development of innovative solutions for environmental challenges, focusing on accessibility and affordability.
• Education and Empowerment: Empower individuals and communities to take action on environmental issues through education, skills development, and capacity building. Provide opportunities for meaningful engagement, leadership development, and participation in decision-making processes related to environmental sustainability.
• Building Coalitions and Collaborations: Foster collaborations and partnerships across sectors, disciplines, and stakeholders to leverage collective expertise, resources, and influence. Mobilize diverse coalitions and alliances for collective action on pressing environmental issues and shared sustainability goals.

Success Stories

1. The Loess Plateau Restoration Project, China

Centuries of unsustainable land use practices, such as deforestation, overgrazing, and soil erosion, have severely deteriorated China’s Loess Plateau, which spans an area of around 640,000 square kilometers. The degraded landscape led to severe environmental problems such as soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and reduced agricultural productivity, affecting the livelihoods of millions of people in the region.

Key Components:

• Integrated Watershed Management: The project implemented terracing, afforestation, and soil conservation measures to restore degraded landscapes and improve soil fertility.
• Community Engagement: Local communities actively participated in conceiving, executing, and monitoring the project, fostering a sense of stewardship and ownership.
• Government Support: The Chinese government provided funding, technical expertise, and policy support to scale restoration efforts across the Loess Plateau.
• Ecosystem Restoration: The project restored over 35,000 square kilometers of degraded land, reducing soil erosion and improving vegetation cover.
• Improved Livelihoods: Restored ecosystems provided new opportunities for sustainable agriculture, forestry, and eco-tourism, enhancing local livelihoods and resilience.
• Climate Resilience: The restored landscapes are more resilient to climate change, with increased water retention, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity conservation.

 2. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia

Acknowledged as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, stands as the most important coral reef ecosystem globally and is located off the shores of Queensland, Australia. The reef faced severe degradation and biodiversity loss due to pressures from overfishing, pollution, climate change, and coastal development.

• Designation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): To preserve vital ecosystems, biodiversity, and ecosystem services, authorities created the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
• Zoning and Management: The park implemented regulations to manage human activities, restrict fishing in sensitive areas, and reduce pollution runoff.
• Research and Monitoring: Robust scientific research and monitoring programs provide data to inform management decisions, track ecosystem health, and detect emerging threats.
• Biodiversity Conservation: The marine park safeguards a diverse array of aquatic species, including corals, fish, turtles, and marine mammals.
• Economic Value: The Great Barrier Reef generates significant economic benefits through tourism, recreation, and fisheries, supporting local economies and livelihoods.
• Global Symbol of Conservation: The park serves as a worldwide icon of marine conservation, highlighting the importance of protected areas in safeguarding vulnerable ecosystems.

 3. Iceland’s Renewable Energy Revolution

Iceland, a Nordic island nation with a small population and abundant natural resources, transitioned remarkably from dependence on imported fossil fuels to becoming a global leader in renewable energy. The country’s unique geological features, including volcanoes and geysers, played a crucial role in this transformative journey.

• Geothermal Energy Development: Harnessing the country’s abundant geothermal resources, Iceland invested in geothermal power plants for electricity generation and district heating.
• Hydropower Expansion: Iceland also developed projects to capitalize on its rivers and waterfalls, further diversifying its renewable energy portfolio.
• Energy Independence: The transition to renewable energy sources reduced Iceland’s dependence on imported fossil fuels, enhancing energy security and resilience.
• 100% Renewable Energy: Nearly all of Iceland’s electricity today comes from renewable sources, mainly hydropower and geothermal.
• Carbon Neutrality: The clean energy transition has significantly reduced Iceland’s carbon footprint, making it one of the greenest countries in the world.
• Export of Expertise: Iceland has become a global leader in geothermal technology and renewable energy innovation, exporting expertise and technologies to other countries.

Environmental consciousness is pivotal for safeguarding the planet’s health and securing a sustainable future for all life forms. It entails recognizing the interconnectedness of human activities with the natural world and embracing a mindset of stewardship and responsibility. People and communities can help mitigate climate change, conserve biodiversity, and safeguard ecosystems by encouraging environmental awareness, supporting sustainable activities, and pushing for policy changes. Through collective action and commitment, we can cultivate a culture of environmental consciousness that respects the Earth’s finite resources and ensures the well-being of present and future generations. It’s imperative to act decisively and harmoniously to preserve our planet for future generations.

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Essay Curve

Environment Consciousness – Essay in 10 Lines, 100 to 1500 Words

Essay on Environment Consciousness: In today’s world, the importance of environmental consciousness cannot be overstated. With climate change, deforestation, and pollution threatening the health of our planet, it is more crucial than ever for individuals to take action to protect the environment. In this essay, we will explore the significance of environmental consciousness and the ways in which we can all contribute to a more sustainable future. From reducing our carbon footprint to advocating for environmental policies, every small effort can make a big difference in preserving our planet for future generations.

Table of Contents

Environment Consciousness Essay Writing Tips

1. Start by introducing the topic of environment consciousness and its importance in today’s world. You can mention the increasing threats of climate change, pollution, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity.

2. Provide some statistics or facts to highlight the current state of the environment and the need for increased awareness and action. This can help to grab the reader’s attention and emphasize the urgency of the issue.

3. Discuss the role of individuals in promoting environment consciousness. Talk about the importance of making sustainable choices in daily life, such as reducing waste, conserving energy, and supporting eco-friendly products and practices.

4. Highlight the impact of human activities on the environment, such as carbon emissions, plastic pollution, and habitat destruction. Explain how these activities are contributing to environmental degradation and climate change.

5. Discuss the benefits of being environmentally conscious, both for the individual and the planet. This can include improved air and water quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and preservation of natural resources for future generations.

6. Provide examples of successful environmental initiatives or movements that have raised awareness and inspired positive change. This can include campaigns to reduce plastic usage, promote renewable energy, or protect endangered species.

7. Address potential challenges or barriers to promoting environment consciousness, such as lack of awareness, resistance to change, or competing priorities. Offer suggestions for overcoming these obstacles and fostering a culture of sustainability.

8. Conclude by emphasizing the importance of taking action to protect the environment and encouraging readers to make a commitment to being more environmentally conscious in their daily lives. Offer practical tips and resources for further learning and engagement.

9. Remember to proofread and edit your essay for clarity, coherence, and grammar. Make sure your arguments are well-supported with evidence and examples to strengthen your overall message.

10. Consider incorporating personal anecdotes or experiences to make your essay more engaging and relatable to the reader. Sharing your own journey towards greater environment consciousness can inspire others to do the same.

Essay on Environment Consciousness in 10 Lines – Examples

1. Environmental consciousness is the awareness and concern for the well-being of the environment. 2. It involves understanding the impact of human activities on the environment and taking steps to minimize negative effects. 3. Being environmentally conscious means making choices that are sustainable and eco-friendly. 4. It includes practices such as recycling, reducing waste, and conserving energy. 5. Environmental consciousness also involves supporting initiatives that protect and preserve natural habitats and wildlife. 6. It is important for individuals, businesses, and governments to prioritize environmental consciousness in order to ensure a healthy planet for future generations. 7. Climate change, pollution, and deforestation are some of the major issues that require increased environmental consciousness. 8. Education and awareness are key factors in promoting environmental consciousness among the general population. 9. By making small changes in our daily lives, we can all contribute to a healthier environment. 10. Ultimately, environmental consciousness is essential for the sustainability of our planet and the well-being of all living beings.

Sample Essay on Environment Consciousness in 100-180 Words

Environment consciousness is the awareness and concern for the well-being of our planet and its natural resources. It involves understanding the impact of our actions on the environment and taking steps to minimize harm and promote sustainability.

Being environment conscious means making choices that are eco-friendly, such as reducing waste, conserving energy, and using renewable resources. It also involves advocating for policies and practices that protect the environment and promote conservation.

In today’s world, where climate change and environmental degradation are major concerns, it is more important than ever to be conscious of our impact on the environment. By being environmentally conscious, we can help preserve the planet for future generations and ensure a sustainable future for all living beings.

In conclusion, environment consciousness is essential for the health and well-being of our planet. It is up to each and every one of us to take responsibility for our actions and make a positive impact on the environment.

Short Essay on Environment Consciousness in 200-500 Words

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness and concern about the state of our environment. People are becoming more conscious of the impact that their actions have on the planet, and are taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint and protect the natural world. This shift towards environmental consciousness is crucial in the face of increasing pollution, deforestation, and climate change.

One of the key ways in which individuals can demonstrate their environmental consciousness is by making sustainable choices in their daily lives. This can include things like using reusable bags and water bottles, recycling and composting, reducing energy consumption, and choosing products that are made from environmentally friendly materials. By making these small changes, individuals can help to reduce their impact on the environment and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Another important aspect of environmental consciousness is advocating for policies and practices that protect the environment on a larger scale. This can involve supporting initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect endangered species, and preserve natural habitats. By getting involved in environmental advocacy, individuals can help to bring about positive change and ensure that future generations have a healthy planet to live on.

Education also plays a crucial role in fostering environmental consciousness. By teaching people about the importance of biodiversity, the impact of climate change, and the benefits of sustainable living, we can help to create a more environmentally aware society. Schools, universities, and community organizations can all play a role in educating people about environmental issues and inspiring them to take action.

In addition to individual actions, businesses and governments also have a responsibility to prioritize environmental consciousness. Companies can reduce their carbon footprint by implementing sustainable practices in their operations, such as using renewable energy sources and reducing waste. Governments can enact policies that promote environmental protection, such as investing in clean energy technologies and enforcing regulations to limit pollution.

Overall, environmental consciousness is essential for ensuring the health and well-being of our planet. By making sustainable choices, advocating for environmental protection, and educating others about the importance of preserving the natural world, we can all contribute to a more sustainable future. It is up to each and every one of us to take action and make a difference in the fight against climate change and environmental degradation. By working together, we can create a world that is healthy, vibrant, and sustainable for generations to come.

Essay on Environment Consciousness in 1000-1500 Words

Introduction

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness and concern about the state of our environment. With the increasing threat of climate change, pollution, and deforestation, more and more people are becoming conscious of the impact that human activities have on the planet. This has led to a rise in environmental consciousness, with individuals and communities taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint and protect the natural world. In this essay, we will explore the importance of environmental consciousness and the ways in which it can help to preserve our planet for future generations.

The Importance of Environmental Consciousness

Environmental consciousness refers to the awareness and understanding of the impact that human activities have on the environment. It involves recognizing the interconnectedness of all living things and the delicate balance that exists in nature. By being environmentally conscious, individuals can make informed choices that help to reduce their impact on the planet and protect its natural resources.

One of the key reasons why environmental consciousness is important is because of the urgent need to address climate change. The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial activities have led to a rapid increase in greenhouse gas emissions, which are causing the Earth’s temperature to rise. This has resulted in more frequent and severe weather events, such as hurricanes, droughts, and wildfires, as well as rising sea levels and melting ice caps.

By being environmentally conscious, individuals can take steps to reduce their carbon footprint and mitigate the effects of climate change. This can include using energy-efficient appliances, driving less, and supporting renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. By making these changes, individuals can help to reduce their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and protect the planet for future generations.

Another reason why environmental consciousness is important is because of the impact that human activities have on biodiversity. Deforestation, pollution, and habitat destruction have led to a rapid decline in the number of plant and animal species on Earth. This loss of biodiversity can have far-reaching consequences, as it can disrupt ecosystems and lead to the extinction of species.

By being environmentally conscious, individuals can help to protect biodiversity by supporting conservation efforts and reducing their impact on natural habitats. This can include recycling, using sustainable products, and supporting organizations that work to protect endangered species. By taking these actions, individuals can help to preserve the diversity of life on Earth and ensure that future generations can enjoy the beauty and wonder of the natural world.

In addition to addressing climate change and protecting biodiversity, environmental consciousness is also important for ensuring the health and well-being of human populations. Pollution from industrial activities, agriculture, and transportation can have serious consequences for human health, leading to respiratory problems, cancer, and other illnesses.

By being environmentally conscious, individuals can take steps to reduce their exposure to harmful pollutants and protect their health. This can include using natural cleaning products, eating organic foods, and avoiding products that contain harmful chemicals. By making these changes, individuals can help to create a healthier environment for themselves and their communities.

Ways to Increase Environmental Consciousness

There are many ways in which individuals can increase their environmental consciousness and make a positive impact on the planet. One of the most important steps is to educate oneself about the issues facing the environment and the actions that can be taken to address them. This can involve reading books and articles, watching documentaries, and attending workshops and seminars on environmental topics.

Another way to increase environmental consciousness is to make small changes in one’s daily life that can have a big impact on the planet. This can include reducing energy consumption, conserving water, and recycling and composting waste. By making these changes, individuals can help to reduce their carbon footprint and protect the environment.

Supporting organizations and initiatives that work to protect the environment is another important way to increase environmental consciousness. This can involve donating money, volunteering time, or participating in campaigns and events that raise awareness about environmental issues. By supporting these efforts, individuals can help to make a difference in the fight to protect the planet.

In conclusion, environmental consciousness is essential for addressing the urgent environmental challenges facing the planet. By being aware of the impact that human activities have on the environment and taking steps to reduce this impact, individuals can help to protect the planet for future generations. By educating oneself, making small changes in daily life, and supporting environmental initiatives, individuals can make a positive impact on the planet and create a more sustainable future for all living things.

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Environmental Consciousness, Sustainability, and the Character of Philosophy of Education

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• Published: 12 November 2016
• Volume 36 , pages 333–347, ( 2017 )

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• Michael Bonnett   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-2038-2435 1  

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This paper argues that education itself, properly understood, is intimately concerned with an individual’s being in the world, and therefore is ineluctably environmental. This is guaranteed by the ecstatic nature of consciousness. Furthermore, it is argued that a central dimension of this environment with which ecstatic human consciousness is engaged, is that of nature understood as the ‘self-arising’. Nature, so conceived, is essentially other and is epistemologically mysterious, possessing its own normativity, agency, and intrinsic value. As such, engagement with nature presents opportunities for consciousness quintessentially to go beyond itself, to be inspired and refreshed, and to receive non-anthropogenic standards in the form of intimations of what is fitting and what is not. It will be argued that these are fundamental to the orientation of human being, providing primordial intimations of the nature of reality and truth. Given their centrality to the idea of a person’s becoming educated, the elucidation of these and the issues to which they give rise must be central to the philosophy of education and in this sense it becomes deeply ecological.

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Introduction

Philosophy of education can be understood as engaged in the analysis and elucidation of the nature of education: the ideas that inform it and the practices that are taken concretely to constitute it. This broad characterization can rapidly be unpacked in terms of a wide range of more specific and intimately interrelated considerations, such as the character of teaching, learning, the curriculum and the pupil-teacher relationship—and also, the institutions such as schools and universities in which they occur. In turn, these considerations can lead to a number of underlying issues, for example concerning the nature of truth, knowledge and understanding; the nature and relevance of moral, social/political, aesthetic, and other values. And, perhaps, most fundamental of all: the nature of human subjectivity and personhood, and their relationship to the greater world that they inhabit, and of which they are a part. If something like this portrayal is accepted, it places the question of what it is to be human—that is to say, the character of its existence and potentiality—at the heart of philosophy of education. This has held true for many of the most influential philosophies of education, including those of Plato, Rousseau, Dewey, R. S. Peters, and the philosophers of Bildung .

It seems to me that it is on this topic of the nature and potentiality of human existence that concerns elaborated in the discourses of sustainability and environmental education have some important things to say. Indeed, they can be interpreted as requiring a significant re-orientation of the philosophy of education as largely it currently presents itself. I will begin to open up this issue by attempting to elucidate and defend what in recent times has become a heavily contested idea: that of an authentic human essence.

There is a long history of conceiving the self, not as some separate autonomous entity—as has been attributed to some forms of liberalism—but as essentially relational. Footnote 1 This has sometimes resulted in subjectivity becoming understood largely as merely the creation and on-going reflection of external influences, as illustrated in varying degree through, say, ideas of ‘subjectivation’ through the performative activities of others Footnote 2 or the subject’s coming into presence only through the recognition of others. Footnote 3 Here, the possibility of an authentic human essence is in danger of becoming dissipated across an interminable range of external agencies. Footnote 4 Yet, through its attempt to define what it is to be human, the idea of an authentic human essence can be portrayed as placing arbitrary restrictions upon human potentiality that in turn involve a colonisation of humanity by the views of the elites who decide the criteria. Footnote 5

However, there are alternative ways of acknowledging the relational dimension to human being and that emphasize the involvement with an environment without jettisoning the idea of a self that possesses some sort of internal integrity and whose characterizing aspects can be articulated to some degree. One such notion of authentic human essence derives from a formulation of the idea of consciousness derived from medieval schoolmen and re-introduced into modern philosophy by Franz Brentano in the latter half of the nineteenth century: the intentionality thesis. It will be argued that here, with some modifications, can be discerned a view of human being that holds the possibility of developing a notion of human essence in which the way in which we are ineluctably environmental is linked to a primordial idea of sustainability. I will argue that this has the potential to re-orientate our understanding of philosophy of education.

In his Psychology from an Empirical Standpoint Franz Brentano employed the idea of intentionality as a way of distinguishing consciousness from the merely physical. Footnote 6 He interpreted intentionality as ‘relationship to a content, the tendency towards an object’ that is immanent, i.e. contained within consciousness. This idea of consciousness as essentially directed upon an object, being ‘minded’, subsequently was taken up by Edmund Husserl Footnote 7 and seminally modified by his argument that the things to which consciousness is directed—its intentional objects—are not contained within itself, but are transcendent . For example, when we desire something such as a new coat, we do not desire something that is already within consciousness, say an image or an idea, but an actual coat whose existence lies beyond any individual consciousness. Furthermore, as Martin Heidegger makes clear in his rejection of Husserl’s developing transcendental idealism, we experience these transcendent objects as always already existing in a world that they share with us. Footnote 8 Such ‘worldliness’ is fundamental to their intelligibility. Human consciousness is ecstatic in this sense of existing in a constant (and complex) motion of standing out towards things beyond itself in the world. In this sense it is ineluctably worldly—and hence, we can say, environmental . And its internal integrity can be conceived as a constantly evolving genealogy of intentionality in which past acts condition, but far from determine, future acts. Footnote 9 , Footnote 10

For the purpose of illustrating how this internal relationship between consciousness and its environment connects with ecological concerns that can affect how we think about the idea of an authentic human essence, and in turn, how we should understand philosophy of education, I will develop two central aspects: (1) the primordial character of human ecstasis as a kind of sustaining; (2) the significance of the experience of nature.

Human Being as Sustainability

In other work, Footnote 11 I have argued that there is a pregnant sense in which sustainability lies at the heart of human consciousness, and that it is intimately entwined with a founding notion of truth. The argument goes as follows.

If it is proper to characterize human consciousness as intentional in the sense outlined above, it follows that the greater the range and integrity of the intentional objects in which it participates, the greater will be the richness of its own life. And because these objects are transcendent and therefore not to be conceived as exclusively the product of its own projections, primordially its stance will need to be one of receptiveness to what engages it. Although he makes no explicit reference to any intentionality thesis, something very like it can be interpreted as being present in Bertrand Russell’s introductory text The Problems of Philosophy. Footnote 12 In the concluding chapter ‘The Value of Philosophy’, he suggests that true knowledge is a union of the Self with the not-Self. It is important to note that in the case of philosophy this union is not to be understood as generating a body of definitely ascertainable knowledge. Rather, Russell holds that: ‘The value of philosophy is, in fact, to be sought largely in its very uncertainty’ and the consequent speculation that ‘suggests many possibilities which enlarge our thoughts and free them from the tyranny of custom’. Footnote 13 In this way even the smallest and most familiar things in life can become strange and enlarged in their significance. This leads Russell to make a seminal point that reveals a key implication of the intentionality thesis when considered from an educational point of view:

Apart from its utility in showing unsuspected possibilities, philosophy has a value – perhaps its chief value – through the greatness of the objects that it contemplates, and the freedom from narrow and personal aims resulting from this contemplation. Footnote 14

He goes on to make it clear that such enlargement of Self does not occur through study that ‘wishes in advance that its objects should have this or that character, but adapts the Self to the characters which it finds in its objects… In contemplation… we start from the not-Self, and through its greatness the boundaries of Self are enlarged; through the infinity of the universe the mind which contemplates it achieves some share in infinity’. Footnote 15 , Footnote 16

In this fundamental sense of consciousness being attentive to what its intentional objects present, it is involved in a sustaining of things—a letting them be as the things that they are. This is the basis of world-formation. And here, too, resides an originary sense of truth: an apprehension of things as they are in their own being. It should be noted that this is not to posit some objective reality entirely independent of consciousness; rather it is to speak of the reality in relationship to which primordially consciousness consists or lives, and, by the same token, the reality that occurs through consciousness, as the place where it can show up. As it were, subject and object are poles of the relationship that is consciousness. The poles can be distinguished, but arise only as aspects of this original relationship that constitutes consciousness and that at base is one of mutual anticipation. Elsewhere, Footnote 17 I have argued that anticipation in its varied forms pervades all that we do and experience: for example, for the walker that the earth will bear her up or for the reader that the text has meaning, and while often deeply implicit, also it is deeply enlivening and can be quite explicit—as with the anticipation of meeting a friend after a long absence, or setting off on a cross-country ramble on a fine spring morning.

Furthermore, such anticipation is not simply our projection onto an inert world. It occurs in the context of our participation in places, and a place and the things that populate and constitute it can be experienced as awaiting us and as claiming us through the invitations and prompts that they offer. Perhaps we look into the kitchen and see the dirty dishes awaiting our attention, the shade of a tree beckons us on a hot day. We can experience the history or ambience of a particular place as deeply affecting our sense of who we are and what we are doing. This is true whether it is our home with its familiar utensils that anticipate and invite our activity there, the solitude of an upland stream, or the endless lines of white war graves of the Somme that silently await our coming and remembrance. The significances that we experience in these examples are not merely subjective additions to something more primal or real, rather they constitute the world of sense in which we live—and from which all else is abstraction and fabrication.

It is important to make clear that this sense of reciprocal anticipation in our experience of the world emanates not only from the clearly artefactual, but also from the quintessentially non-artefactual: nature. The spider’s web anticipates the stray fly; after a hard winter the swelling buds standing out on dark stems anticipate warmer and longer days. Reaching for a ripe fruit, it can be experienced as awaiting our grasp; the nearby robin awaits alert for the disturbance that will expose hidden grubs as I take my fork to the soil. We exist through our participation in this interplay of anticipation. Without it, indeed, we would enter ontological freefall, for there is an important sense in which we ourselves inhere in the world through a meshing of our anticipations with those experienced in the places in which we live and in which essentially we find ourselves. In the case of ‘natural places’, this can range from an unreflective picking of an inviting apple, to a more general attunement to the myriad signs of what is nascent on a spring day that shapes our own anticipations and thus locates us in the play of the seasons. Ultimately there is nothing purely objective or passive about a place—‘domestic’ or ‘natural’; it only appears so when we have lost touch with its, and our own, genius—as when, under the influence of scientism, we can be persuaded that to recognize its transcendent inviting otherness is to indulge a frothy fiction.

Because it illustrates these points in a powerful way, and also because it leads to issues that lie at the heart of ideas of ecologizing philosophy of education, I will now turn to an elucidation of our experience of nature.

The Significance of Nature

The key feature of our experience of nature qua nature—that is to say the experience that lies at the kernel of our concept of nature—is its independence of our authorship and will. In this sense things in nature are quintessentially self - arising, Footnote 18 befalling us in their individuality and particularity as non-artefactual, essentially other. However, two caveats need to be entered here.

First, this is far from saying that in all our encounters with nature its self-arising character is what is most prominent. On occasion it may be heavily veiled or subverted. Indeed, it may be that increasingly and for the most part we come to see things in nature in purely instrumental or economic terms, paying little or no attention to their particularity and otherness. The point being made is that insofar as we do still construe something as a part of nature, the idea of it as self-arising is implicit, and furthermore that this understanding of nature both is deeply embedded in our form of sensibility and is an essential element of it (of which more anon).

Second, of course, we can affect nature in all sorts of ways, but in all our interactions with it there remains something that is ‘other’, always beyond us and experienced as occurring from out of itself—And this, notwithstanding the fact that our linguistic articulations of nature occur through concepts that have been socially produced. Perhaps, on my cross country ramble a freshening breeze sets the boughs of some great tree dancing. Clearly, this is understood and articulated through the relevant socially produced concepts, but that the boughs moved in this way and at this moment is perfectly independent of these concepts.

Having recognized this element of autonomy in nature, it is important to note that there is a complex relationship between the play of human purposes and the disclosure of the otherness of nature. While often our contact with an intelligible world is modulated by the purposes and practices that we pursue, equally, aspects of that world can announce themselves ‘uninvited’. Perhaps we suddenly experience a marked change of temperature or a powerful odour, or our attention is commanded by the sudden apprehension of something neither foreseen nor imagined—such as a clap of thunder emanating from brooding clouds that have crept up on us unawares. Furthermore, our artefacts are frequently both shaped by our awareness of aspects of nature with which we have to contend, such as the weather, and can reveal facets of that nature such as the way that a glass prism can display the colours concealed within white light.

And, of course, this intimate interplay and reciprocal conditioning of human purposes and artefacts with the appearing of nature in its otherness occurs within—and constantly extends—our overarching form of sensibility. This latter evolved precisely in response to the presence of otherness in its myriad changing forms, and historically whose most powerful and pervasive example is that of self-arising nature that both has shaped our senses and whose presence as an independent reality is implicit in the logic of our senses and the languages used in relation to them, such as those of perception and description. Hence, the nature that we experience is human-related in that human consciousness provides the place and occasion for its appearances, but ultimately not simply human-authored. In experience, the living presence of natural things is something we behold rather than construct, and we take such things to have their own ‘lives’ and interactions, regardless of whether we witness or speculate about them. Footnote 19

This experience of the living presence of natural things brings me to another important aspect of self-arising nature. Scientific ecology has drawn attention to the ways in which things in nature are biophysically interdependent, individuals being causally sustained as integral members of local ecosystems, which in turn are nested in overarching regional or global systems. However, from the phenomenological perspective, there is another important sense in which things in nature exist always in relationship: not now as scientifically defined objects or constructs, but in their very occurring—in their being . In other work Footnote 20 I have argued that the character of their living presence—the things that they are in our sensory experience of them—occurs through the mutually sustaining relationships that constitute place-making. To return to the example of the upland stream: the glistening flow of water eddying around tumbled polished rocks, the mysterious movement of a reed at the margin where the water is quiet, the momentary silver glint of a darting fish, the fragrances borne on the fresh breeze that blows at this place and that disturbs the pendant branches of a stunted willow that overhangs the stream at this spot, its fissured bark displaying and withholding strange shapes as sunlight and cloud shadow pass over it: Here the living presence of each is sustained through its participation in a creative interplay with all. This mutual interplay constitutes the place in which they are encountered. It is sustained by them and sustaining of them. Removed—perhaps the fish to an aquarium, the stone to a rock collection—their being is transformed, reduced to that of curio. In such uprooting, their existence arises through their participation in a new imposed interplay that is in part both parasitic on what they once were and at the same time subverts key aspects of their self-arising nature, their ability to befall us as natural.

If we enter a natural place and participate in the vibrancy of its being—the place-making that is occurring—our own embodied being is enlivened and refreshed, our senses resonating with pure engagement, united with what they receive. For a while our ecstatic nature is fulfilled. Herein lies a central aspect of the importance of self-arising nature: where it is prominent we can experience an ecstasis that can be inspirational by re-opening a space for possibilities of otherness and mystery that far outrun any preconceptions and knowingness with which habitually we equip and insulate ourselves. Things in nature are quintessentially other in the sense of having their own histories and futures, profiles and countenances, many of which we will never see and that can never be fully anticipated. The attentive walker in natural space is subject to frequent surprise as things encountered offer invitations to participate in their being in unique and never wholly predictable ways. They possess aspects that always lie beyond us, withdrawn, yet to be revealed, no matter how developed our scientific understanding becomes. And sometimes partly because of this, as when the living presence of the rock or willow tree are codified in some database pro forma of objective defining properties. Participation in the spontaneity and innate epistemological mystery of self-arising nature opens us to truth in its most primordial form: in Heideggerian vein, the coming into presence of things themselves and their withdrawing. In such a relationship we can come to feel the elemental powers that are at play: for example, those of birth and death, lightening and darkening, sound and silence, motion and stillness, and so forth. Footnote 21 These all embody significances both for human as well as non-human nature, as when perhaps a silence is experienced as uncanny and laden with foreboding, or the dawn light resonates with hope.

And there is another important point to be made here. Although they are profoundly other, things in nature communicate something of their own integrity such that we can have a sense of what would count as their fulfilment. In this sense they are normative and possess intrinsic value. Negatively, our awareness of this can be evoked if perhaps, returning to the upland stream, we were to find the bloated corpses of fish borne on foam topped waters smelling of industrial waste. More positively, in experiencing the myriad interplays, harmonies and contrasts, subtle adaptions and accommodations, we might be struck by a sense of rightness emanating from the stream during our first encounter. Things presence in such a way that how they are communicates that this is how they ought to be Footnote 22 Here we become acquainted with a form of rightness that is in some sense ‘pre-moral’: more a matter of an emplaced sensing of what belongs and what is fitting than anything that could be articulated in a set of abstract moral principles or specific prescriptions. But nonetheless, this is an acquaintanceship that can be refined and deepened through an attentive and intimate living alongside things that, for example, has found expression (in very different ways) in the lives of indigenous peoples and in Romantic poetry. Footnote 23 Entry into these can help to (re-)attune us to the presence of normative intimations, respect for which conditions but does not determine moral conduct. Rather such intimations are a pre-condition of a properly informed ethical response. Footnote 24 And here, again, we receive indications of truth, of a reality that is true to itself; vulnerable to the effects of overweening human ambition, yet potentially powerful in orientating human being for those sensitive to the silent messages it gives off. Footnote 25

Clearly, there is a sense in which such a claim contravenes that well established dictum in moral philosophy, emanating from Hume, that an ‘ought’ cannot be derived from an ‘is’ on the grounds that when an empirical fact is stated it is always possible to question whether it possesses the moral value attributed to it. Taken in loose combination with the the so-called ‘naturalistic fallacy’ propounded by G. E. Moore, this has sometimes resulted in a radical separation of fact and value, the latter becoming perceived as a mere human projection on some underlying empirical reality. Footnote 26 But from the phenomenological point of view this position has things the wrong way round. Our direct experience of things in nature is not normally that of neutral objects to which value is then added: we experience them as already having value in some respect—they are present to us with their value, which, as Max Scheler once put it, can be experienced as ‘streaming off’ them. At this level, the position is really an example of a proto-scientism. It deconstructs concrete experience and by a process of abstraction produces a theoretically neutral object and a separate value component. This is not to say that elements of the approach have no relevance in the moral sphere. When it comes to deciding how to act in a particular situation—e.g. whether to preserve or destroy some aspect of nature—the inherent value of one thing alone often cannot determine this; its value needs to be weighed against the values of other things involved, including human-wellbeing. In this sense ‘is’ does not imply ‘ought’, but it is a mistake to deploy this as an argument against the idea of intrinsic moral value as it has been taken to do, for in fact it assumes some prior apprehension of intrinsic values.

To be sure, none of this is to deny that we need to be alert to occasions where the normativity claimed to be experienced in ‘nature’ and what is taken to be ‘natural’ is recruited to authenticate, for example, dubious conceptions and power relationships such as those associated with gender. Footnote 27 But such misappropriation should not persuade us simply to suspend or disparage, in any wholesale way, experiences of value and normative measures in nature that both constitute a sense of unity with nature and can inform and ground us in significant ways. While, no doubt, there are occasions when moral values have been read into nature to suit current prejudices, phenomenologically this imposition of an agenda is a far cry from the genuine receptivity to otherness that this paper advocates.

Bringing this section to a close, from the position being developed in this paper, a central point that arises in the course of this discussion of nature as the self-arising is that something of the fundamental character of human being becomes foregrounded. Relating to the quintessential otherness of nature in its manifold facets is central to human existence and involves a non-anthropocentric receptivity to things themselves with their innate value. In sum, at the heart of authentic human essence is the holding sway of truth conceived as an attitude of loving allowance. In this sense it is essentially sustaining and sustained. But in our everyday busy-ness this mutuality with nature is largely effaced by other powerful motives that have come to dominate in our late-modern time.

Nature’s Enemies: Scientism and the Metaphysics of Mastery

By scientism, I refer to the phenomenon of presuming that classical experimental science has a privileged access to the nature of reality; that somehow its methods, findings and constructions reveal what is ‘really’ real and that therefore it can assume the mantle of arbiter for thinking in general. Clearly, this is to be distinguished from science as a field of research; scientism is a set of presumptions about the significance and application of the assumptions, methodologies and findings of this field of research in our daily lives.

With regard to the natural world—which is here my central concern—it arises, for example, in claims that what in everyday experience we take to be solid objects are to be understood as, say, ‘really’ bits of space traversed by speeding particles; what we experience as their colour or sound is ‘really’ movement of a particular wavelength. When it appears to us that a beaver selects a site to build its lodge, protects this site from river surges by quiet pools resulting from felling nearby trees, gnawing them to manageable size and towing them to narrow parts of the river to construct dams, what is ‘really’ occurring is the working out of blind mechanical processes. The vocabulary of the former everyday account is to be regarded fundamentally as a quaint piece of anthropomorphism.

Elsewhere, Footnote 28 I have questioned this presumption that somehow such scientific accounts are ‘truer’, more objective in the sense of providing a more authentic depiction of the world—one that properly reflects how it really is. Why privilege blind mechanical depictions of the natural world over those that speak of purpose and agency? Does the natural historian, when implying agency by speaking of a predator hunting its prey, necessarily mis-describe what she sees, or indulge a way of speaking that is merely figurative? Why be tempted to posit as fundamental a world of, say, colourless, blindly hurrying particles when human experience of the natural world is so much richer than this and cannot be adequately articulated through its vocabulary?

I will return to this issue shortly. For the moment I make the point that while the former conception might be quite acceptable within the discipline of science with its particular project towards the world and where its limitations as well as its strengths are recognized, given the richness of experience and depths of intelligibility that it denies, such reductionism looks highly arbitrary when it gets generalised, as with scientism.

Let me now return to the question as to why we can find ourselves condoning scientism. I believe that the answer lies in what I have termed the ‘metaphysics of mastery’. Footnote 29 I use this epithet to refer to the ways in which Western culture increasingly frames issues in terms that are deeply human-centred and manipulative. While much is still hybrid in this respect, here grows an underlying presumption that everything is to be understood in terms of how it can be brought to serve the human will alone: the purposes that humans give to themselves, increasingly detached from any sensibility of any other source of value, and in which ultimately the desire for mastery comes to reign supreme and everything must be brought to order in its service. Here we have, as it were, the burgeoning of a will that looks only to itself: a kind of hyper-anthropocentrism that now supersedes the fully human and seeks to dominate it, as it would all else. Under its aegis, all values become instrumental and the world, including the natural world, becomes a resource—the purer, the better. The all-consuming goal is that of utility: to have everything to hand with minimum inconvenience and maximum efficiency from the point of view of our self-defined comfort and self-given projects. Anything resistant to this requirement presents itself as being in need of re-engineering or replacement. While this motive is far from new, its increasing dominance and purity has been spurred by—and is expressed in—the growth of technological power. This has led, for the moment, to the throwing off of the old constraints of religion and nature and expresses itself in the burgeoning of consumerism and the choice of alternative virtual realities in which to live and that reflect an increasingly disdainful attitude towards the given.

In the present context this raises the important issue of what such a wilful attitude does to our relationship with nature. The anthropologist Gregory Bateson notes how when faced with a changing variable we tend to focus on modifying our environment rather than ourselves. Footnote 30 This is entirely consistent with the metaphysics of mastery, as are the ever increasingly ambitious aspirations to manage what at one time would have been accepted more or less as natural givens, ranging from, say, our anatomy to the oceans and the climate. Of course, some of these aspirations might be entirely appropriate if, rather awkwardly, simply they expressed a humble acknowledgement of human responsibility for the consequences of its actions upon the natural world and a determination to modify such actions so as to restore to nature its own integrity. But for the most part they do not. They continue to express an overweening desire to order all according to human will—an aggressive anthropocentrism. And it seems plausible to argue that it is precisely this hubris towards the natural world that has led to our current environmental situation.

To begin with, there is the problem that even when matters are set up in scientific terms, the complexity of natural systems and the magnitude of their temporal and spatial scales means that our current knowledge is far from commensurate with such grandiose ambitions. But more fundamental than this, viewing everything in nature as a resource prevents things from showing up as they are themselves. The lack of a felt sense of nature’s integrity and normativity itself results in a very partial perception and understanding of the world in which we are embedded, vitiating decision-making and leading inevitably to deleterious consequences. The well documented history of unintended outcomes of human interventions in nature bears witness to this. Footnote 31 And the continued decimation of natural populations and habitats, such as those associated with deforestation and the industrial fishing methods that destroy the sea floor, demonstrate how even when deleterious consequences are known narrow short term interests prevail. Looking at this phenomenon from a different perspective—and taking one stark illustration—how could reducing the North American buffalo population from an estimated 60 million to less than 500 in a period of a few decades ever have come to be regarded as a right thing to do? Only if nature is regarded simply as a disposable resource, possessing no inherent intrinsic value, could such slaughter present itself as a legitimate candidate for deliberate action.

Today, perhaps the most pervasive expression of an underlying attitude of mastery—putting nature under the yoke—is exhibited in the strength and character of the consumerist economic motives that dominate Western society and increasingly are becoming globalized. The commodification of all (for example as ‘natural capital’, ‘human capital’) is a clear expression of the motive of mastery. Typically it operates by externalising collateral effects that lie outside the chain of ‘most efficient’ production, unless, that is, these are impressed upon it by other powerful interest groups. Here, the underlying point remains: such a frame of mind remains immune to any truly holistic understanding of the world and nature continues to be set up as a pure resource for human consumption. This lack of truly systemic understanding and the aggressive instrumentalism that holds sway in its stead could, as it gathers strength, hardly fail to subvert both the subtle natural interplays and delicate equilibria in which human existence is embedded and any properly receptive frame of mind that would make it sufficiently sensible of this.

It is in this sense that it is appropriate to speak of a prevailing metaphysics of mastery, for here we are installed in a highly partial reality that inherently works to exclude anything that lies beyond its purview—especially any sources of intrinsic value that transcend the human will and could prove recalcitrant to its demands. And, to return to a previously raised question: the reason that quasi-mechanical portrayals of the natural world have the ascendency is that they set the world up as something that in principle can be controlled, mastered, whereas the recognition of spontaneity and of otherness of purpose pervading the world precludes this. So installed, it becomes increasingly difficult for us properly to address the environmental issues that now face us. When nature is perceived as purely a resource, any adverse consequences of exploiting it appear simply as needing to be fixed by either current or future technologies. Essentially, any problems are taken to lie not within the human will but within those aspects of nature that prove to be resistant to it. With this in play, the central and deep issue of the adequacy of our current modalities of perception is occluded.

The Philosophy of Education in the Light of Nature as the Self-Arising

The argument that human consciousness is ineluctably environmental and involved in sustainability, and subsequent discussion of the character of nature and its significance for understanding what lies at the core of authentic human being, have implications for the content and character of education at a number of levels.

In very general terms, previous argument can be read as putting on the table the proposition that centrally education should be concerned with inviting pupils to participate in a particular frame of mind—or perhaps, better, way of being—that is energized by loving allowance rather than unbridled calculative imposition. Given that such an attitude is as much absorbed from the surrounding culture of the school as from what is formally taught, this suggests a curriculum that itself is infused with such loving allowance both in terms of its approach to pupils as individuals and in its understanding of curriculum content as what presents itself as calling for attention in the course of their ongoing engagement with their environment. In addition to helping to refine and deepen such attentiveness through providing opportunities to dwell with things in their arising and to reflect on their significances, presumably the curriculum would need to alert pupils to the myriad ways in which the metaphysics of mastery holds sway in their perceptions and to encourage experiences and reflections in which this can be disturbed and challenged. This conception of education opens a number of lines of thought for the philosophy of education.

For example, it suggests a different perspective on some of the key concepts that traditionally have been taken to be central to the idea of education. Ideas of truth and knowledge appear that challenge some current mainstream conceptions and that invite further investigation of their educational implications. Footnote 32 If primordially knowledge arises from receptivity to the non-human rather than by a process of anthropocentric construction, if the apprehension of intrinsic values is implicit in the occurring of truth, then the character of what counts as an educational situation—and underpinning notions of human wellbeing, flourishing and the good life—come up for review. With regard to the character of education, ideas of the curriculum as some kind of pre-specified programme of knowledge and skills acquisition, and the teacher–pupil relationship as orientated around the idea of transmission of this prescribed content from teacher to pupil, are severely challenged. Detailed pre-specification (on the back of which often follows managerialism and modularisation) is the bane of genuine engagement with one’s environment, which (it has been argued) fundamentally is apprehended through the fluid sensing of an affective embodied self. This self is sensuous, physically as well as intellectually active and engaging. It requires freedom to respond to the spontaneous prompts and invitations experienced in unfettered participation. On this characterization, the scientism implicit in much of school culture can have deleterious effects on the ability of pupils to inhere authentically in the space that formal schooling provides.

Here, the fundamental issue is raised of the effects on their subjectivity of the environment in which pupils are required to participate. If consciousness is ineluctably environmental and places lay claim to an individual in the senses described earlier in this paper, the potential for a debilitating personal disengagement arises in situations where pre-specification of learning and acceptable responses is high. If the refutation of pupils’ anticipations by the school is extensive or radical, the natural flow of their intentionality becomes stymied. The pupil can feel ‘out of place’ and paralyzed. Footnote 33 Such alienation from their immediate environment, combined with restriction of free exploration previously alluded to, threatens a kind of autism that represents the antithesis of what environmental education must achieve. This suggests a need for careful consideration in holistic terms of the milieu of anticipations that schools support and when disruption of those of incomers is edifying and when pathological.

In the context of admitting self-arising nature to the enterprise of education this matter of the character of the educational environment warrants consideration of a number of associated issues:

The nature and educational potential of a curriculum that emerges in response to the experiences, issues and opportunities that occur when free engagement with a nature-rich environment is valued;

How ideas of moral education and justice that inform the school environment become modified when anthropocentric hubris is suspended and the normativity and intrinsic value of non-human nature are allowed a voice. This raises the further issue of how to conceive of our responsibilities towards nature—and the future; Footnote 34

If authentic human being is radically ecstatic and environmental in the ways previously indicated the importance of considering schools as places—their experienced character, culture, ethos, architecture and location—becomes an important topic for investigation; Footnote 35

Insofar as computerization and the a growing preoccupation with electronic connectivity can be argued to be antipathetic to the ways of relating to the world valorised by knowing nature—for example, through their limitation of multisensory engagement with spontaneity in the immediate environment, and their bodied passivity—the ontology of computerized learning becomes an important area of investigation. Footnote 36

Points such as these illustrate a need for a re-appraisal of the topics that should lie at the heart of philosophy of education. And returning to the large topic of the ascendance of the metaphysics of mastery and the normalisation of scientism in education, a number of further questions arise with regard to the content of the curriculum: What motives and attitudes towards nature are implicit in different areas of the school curriculum? This question is of particular importance when it is recalled that many traditional school subjects were formed historically at a time when the metaphysics of mastery was on the rise and motives of conquering and exploiting nature were pervasive. Footnote 37 More broadly, if our ideas and experience of nature are central to human being in the ways previously claimed, then questions of the following kind become highly germane Footnote 38 : What is nature and what is our place in it? How can we know nature and what should be our attitude towards it? Against what criteria should humankind judge its progress/success/flourishing in relation to the natural world? Ultimately : What would count as a right relationship with nature? Such questions are germane to education because they represent important, but now largely overlooked, ways of articulating our understanding of the human situation—which itself lies (or should lie) at the heart of educational thought.

Arising from discussion of these questions will be the need to analyse and investigate, along with the phenomenon of scientism and its influence in education, the nature of our inherence in the (natural) world—including those perspectives that are inclined to sustain it and those that are inclined to undermine it. For example, an examination of the arguably aggressive utilitarian-rational precepts of modernist humanism (including the ways in which they are carried forward in language through root metaphors and particular locutions Footnote 39 ) and a consideration of the possibilities of post-humanism, become important. Similarly, the character and worth of alternative views of education such as that of indigenous peoples that has arisen in reciprocity with the natural world, and the sensitivities expressed in some Romantic literature such as that of John Clare, Gerard Manley-Hopkins, and William Wordsworth, call for serious study.

Taken as a whole the position outlined in this paper intimates an approach to thinking about education that valorizes receptivity, concreteness and particularity over the abstract and the analytic; holism and the ontological over the atomistic and the epistemological; ‘cosmo-centrism’ over anthropocentrism and cosmopolitanism; sensitivity to immanent organic elemental powers directly experienced as against abstract formulations. These, in turn, install at the heart of the educational enterprise knowledge by intimate acquaintance rather than knowledge by abstract calculation. Clearly, this latter places discussion of the nature and place of affectivity and of bodied knowledge firmly on the agenda of philosophy of education.

This returns us to the important theme of education occurring through a constantly emergent rather than pre-specified curriculum. What comes into view here is the aspiration to develop a systemic wisdom of the human situation that is rooted in learners’ life-worlds enriched through direct acquaintanceship with nature. While this does not deny that it can be helpful to maintain some sort of systematic introduction to what may be identified as a range of key perspectives, and to have at hand ideas and information that can be drawn upon to elucidate them as evolving educational situations make them relevant, potentially there arise important questions concerning how generally knowledge needs to be organized in educational contexts.

For example: To what extent should knowledge be configured so as to be stored and accessed through narratives that root it in lived experience as against through abstract systematic disciplines? (And in the case of the former, which or whose narratives should be privileged?) What are the implications for practice if knowledge is presented as not exclusively the product of human agency and ingenuity, but in part, at least, as receptiveness to what is offered by other forms of agency involved in the occurring of things? How are these alternative forms of agency best understood and woven into accounts of education? And how should this affect the educational status (and perhaps character) of different modes of thought such as the scientific and the poetic? Given the character of nature as the self-arising and the varying circumstances in which education takes place, the question is also raised concerning what considerations are relevant to seeking the enrichment of the life-worlds of learners through personal encounters with the nature? This issue becomes particularly acute for education in urban contexts where the presence of self-arising nature can be less immediately apparent and some of its fundamental rhythms can be attenuated by, for example, extensive light and sound pollution.

Finally, we are brought up against the basic question of the extent to which the aim of introducing pupils to what has been referred to as a civilised inheritance of enduring traditions of thought Footnote 40 —and that may lie beyond the compass of their current life-world preoccupations—is legitimate. If it is, how is it to be reconciled with the idea of a radically emergent curriculum?

To propose such questions, and to seek to reveal the complex synergies and tensions between the ideas involved, is to propose an agenda that could substantially transform the posture of philosophy of education as, largely, it currently stands.

See, for example, Seigel ( 2005 , Ch. 1).

Espoused by Butler ( 1997 ).

Biesta ( 2006 ).

Bonnett ( 2009a ).

A gross example of this would be the Enlightenment elevation of European bourgeois reason as universal arbiter of thinking—aptly dubbed by Robert Solomon as the ‘transcendental pretence’ (Solomon 1980 ).

Brentano ( 1995 ).

Husserl ( 2001 ).

Heidegger ( 1972 ).

Bonnett ( 1978 ).

It should be made clear here that two senses of ‘intentional’ come into play: first, a direct pre-predicative engagement that is to be distinguished from (2) having an intention in the further deliberative sense of, say, working on a problem or deciding a course of action. Each feeds into the other. In what follows the reference is mainly to the pre-predicative sense of intention, although it is part of the broader picture that such pre-predicative engagement plays into intention in the more deliberative sense.

Bonnett ( 2004 ).

Russell ( 1959 ).

It is true that in his desire to make philosophic contemplation impersonal and dispassionate—as free as possible from human hopes and fears, customary beliefs and traditional prejudices—Russell claims that the free intellect ‘will value more the abstract and universal knowledge into which the accidents of private history do not enter, than the knowledge brought by the senses, and dependent, as such knowledge must be, upon an exclusive and personal point of view and a body whose sense-organs distort as much as they reveal’ (p. 93). This discounting of the role of affect and the body in sense-making clearly goes against some central themes of this paper. But his cabined notion of understanding does not vitiate the point that from within the constraints of a very different viewpoint emerges the essential underlying insight that there is an intimate relationship between enlargement of self and openness to the otherness of things.

Bonnett ( 2009b ).

Bonnett ( 2004 ), op. cit.

I have defended the idea of nature as a ‘primordial reality’ against postmodern/poststructuralist critiques that all understandings of nature as an underlying reality are the products of narratives that in various ways are arbitrary or even ‘optional’ in the early chapters of Retrieving Nature (Bonnett 2004 ).

Bonnett ( 2012 ).

Bonnett ( 2015a ).

Bonnett ( 2012 ), op. cit.

See, for example, Garrard ( 1998 ).

Bonnett ( 2012 ), op. cit. For an illustration of normative intimations arising from nature see, for example, Holmes Rolston III’s account of the refusal of rangers in Yosemite National Park to cut a drive-through tunnel through another sequoia after the fall of the famous Wawona tree in the storms of 1968-69. They refused on the grounds that to do so would be an indignity to a majestic sequoia, and that it perverted the trees. Rolston III ( 1999 , p. 120).

See, for example, Skulason ( 2015 ), for further discussion of this.

Moore did not take this route, espousing instead the idea of intrinsic values as ‘non-natural properties’ that reside in the thing itself and are discerned by the intellect.

See, for example, Haraway ( 1991 ).

Bonnett ( 2013 ).

In what follows there are clear resonances with, for example, some aspects of Heidegger’s analysis of the essence of modern technology (Heidegger 1977 ). and Plumwood’s characterisation of masculine rationality (Plumwood 1995 ).

Bateson ( 2000 ).

Such as Carson ( 1962 ).

Bonnett ( 2015b ).

See, for example, Postma and Smeyers ( 2012 ), and Kemp ( 2015 ), on these matters.

See, for example, Blenkinsop ( 2012 ).

For example, Payne ( 2006 ).

For a discussion of science that relates to this see Joldersma ( 2009 ).

Bonnett ( 2007 ).

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Bonnett, M. Environmental Consciousness, Sustainability, and the Character of Philosophy of Education. Stud Philos Educ 36 , 333–347 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-016-9556-x

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What is environmental consciousness a thematic cluster.

Sophia Perdikaris , University of Nebraska-Lincoln Follow

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Ecocene (December 220) 1(2): 1-4.

doi: 10.46863/ecocene.0

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This essay serves as the introduction to this issue of Ecocene (December 2020, volume 1, issue 2).

First two paragraphs:

For its second issue Ecocene welcomed cross-disciplinary contributions on what it means to be environmentally conscious in the world today, what it might have meant in diverse social-environmental pasts, or indeed what it may mean in our shared futures. The ambition of the cluster has been to engage with some key reassessments of the ways in which ecologies, identities, communities, temporalities, heritage, spatiality, risks, or agencies have been rethought in recent years, or in new waves of research, scholarship, theory, and criticism in the present era of global environmental change. The ideas for this cluster, as indeed most of the contributions published in this issue, derive from presentations and discussions originally framed for the “Rethinking Environmental Consciousness” symposium organized by the Nordic Network for Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies at Mid Sweden University some time back. 1 Contributions were welcomed within subthemes focused on the Anthropocene, Material Ecocriticism/s, and Transnational Environmental Consciousness.

The seven articles in this cluster explore various notions and relations of self, culture, identity, art, and belonging with nature. Perhaps more than ever our awareness of the environment is in a state of flux. Though it has still not seen canonical acceptance within the formal international bodies of geological sciences to which the idea was introduced two decades ago,2 the fairly recently formulated concept of the Anthropocene not only signals a paradigmatic shift in humanity’s position vis-à-vis its environment, but also in its way of thinking about this position. Recent emergence of critical perspectives such as the new materialisms, of which material ecocriticism has become an important strain, has already had substantial impacts on the ways in which relationships between people and environments are conceived. At the same time, the transnational modulation of the exchange of environmental thoughts and ideas has rarely been greater, suggesting that we are in a period of particular intensity, in which environmental consciousness is changing in ever more complex ways; thus, it seems especially pertinent and promising to reflect on some renewed theorizations of what it means to be environmentally conscious in the world today, as well as in our shared pasts and common futures.

1 For their efforts organizing the symposium and their original framing of the theme (in ways that may even leave residual traces in these introductory comments), grateful acknowledgment is here given to Steven Hartman, Christian Hummelsund Voie, Anders Olsson, Mae Kilker, Reinhard Hennig, Michaela Castellano, and Nuno Marques.

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