A hurricane, a burning rainforest, and economic survival: Why we cannot view these problems separately

Hurricane Dorian, now a category 4 storm,[1] having already brushed Puerto Rico,[2] has set course across the northern Bahamas directly for Florida’s coast.[3] (Update: Shortly after I published this post, I started seeing revised forecasts with a decreased possibility of landfall in Florida.[4])

Meanwhile, the Amazon rainforest which absorbs much of the world’s—and especially humanity’s—carbon output is on fire. Some experts fear a tipping point in which the forest could become a savannah, emitting rather than absorbing carbon.[5] But Brazil’s government insists on treating the Amazon as an extractive resource and rejects foreign aid to assist with the fires.[6]

And lumbering in the background, Greenland’s glaciers are melting.[7]

Juxtapositions such as this will only become more common and none of these are isolated examples. Brazil’s governmental attitude toward the Amazon[8] reminds me of the Jefferson secession movement in extreme northern California, where locals complain that, among other things, environmental regulation prevents them from developing their economy and lifting themselves from poverty.[9] Meanwhile, the 2014 U.S. National Climate Assessment catalogs a series of impacts across the country, just for the United States,[10] never mind the rest of the world.

Yes, with climate change, the temperature increases. But more profoundly, the weather becomes more extreme. And we’ve been seeing this for a few years now,[11] long enough that as our governing indifference persisted,[12] I saw little point in continuing to archive references. And meanwhile, the climate change-denying anti-environmental Donald Trump is now president.

We make a mistake when we view these problems in isolation. People’s economic concerns cannot be separated from environmental concern. When we try, calamity follows. Like Trump. Like Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro. Like Hurricane Dorian.

This is a beginning for an argument for vegetarian ecofeminism, which sees a pattern of domination in our treatment of each other as humans; each other as human and nonhuman animals; and each other as human and nonhuman animals with the environment. It is a critique of the notion that we must compete for supremacy over each other and a recognition of our ultimately self-destructive cruelty toward all three.[13]

Environmentalists thought they needed to focus on the environment but neglected the need people have to earn a living to survive in our society. The Jefferson secessionists, Bolsonaro, and Trump all see environmental concern as an impediment to economic development. Meanwhile, the Amazon rainforest is largely being cleared—burned—for livestock.[14] We cannot separate these problems. It doesn’t work.

Instead, we must find a way to live with each other. As humans, as non-human animals, and as the environment. We have to take care of each other. We are interdependent. Our survival demands nothing less.

  1. [1]Jason Samenow, Matthew Cappucci, and Andrew Freedman, “Potentially disastrous Hurricane Dorian strengthens to Category 4 as it targets Florida and Southeast U.S.,” Washington Post, August 30, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/08/30/potentially-disastrous-hurricane-dorian-looms-closer-stronger-targeting-florida-southeast-us/
  2. [2]Matthew Cappucci, Andrew Freedman, and Jason Samenow, “Hurricane Dorian: Florida on guard for potential major hurricane strike,” Washington Post, August 29, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/08/29/hurricane-dorian-florida-guard-potential-major-hurricane-strike/
  3. [3]Jason Samenow, Matthew Cappucci, and Andrew Freedman, “Potentially disastrous Hurricane Dorian strengthens to Category 4 as it targets Florida and Southeast U.S.,” Washington Post, August 30, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/08/30/potentially-disastrous-hurricane-dorian-looms-closer-stronger-targeting-florida-southeast-us/
  4. [4]Jason Samenow, “‘Extremely dangerous’ Hurricane Dorian barrels toward Southeast U.S. as likelihood of direct hit on Florida decreases,” Washington Post, August 31, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/08/31/extremely-dangerous-hurricane-dorian-churns-toward-southeast-us-florida-forecast-is-highly-uncertain/
  5. [5]Max Fisher, “‘It’s Really Close’: How the Amazon Rainforest Could Self-Destruct,” New York Times, August 30, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/30/world/americas/amazon-rainforest-fires-climate.html
  6. [6]Gabriel Stargardter, “Why is Bolsonaro wary of foreign Amazon aid? Ask Brazil’s military,” Reuters, August 30, 2019, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-environment-military/why-is-bolsonaro-wary-of-foreign-amazon-aid-ask-brazils-military-idUSKCN1VK2HQ
  7. [7]Seth Borenstein, “Greenland’s glaciers are melting. It’s as if Earth’s refrigerator door were left open,” Los Angeles Times, August 20, 2019, https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2019-08-20/greenlands-glaciers-are-melting
  8. [8]Gabriel Stargardter, “Why is Bolsonaro wary of foreign Amazon aid? Ask Brazil’s military,” Reuters, August 30, 2019, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-environment-military/why-is-bolsonaro-wary-of-foreign-amazon-aid-ask-brazils-military-idUSKCN1VK2HQ
  9. [9]Alexei Koseff, “State of Jefferson supporters plan bill seeking independence from California,” Sacramento Bee, January 6, 2016, https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article53355675.html
  10. [10]Jerry M. Melillo, Terese (T. C.) Richmond, and Gary W. Yohe, eds., “Climate Change Impacts in the United States:
    The Third National Climate Assessment,” U.S. Global Change Research Program 841, doi: 10.7930/J0Z31WJ2
  11. [11]Seth Borenstein, “Climate Change: U.S. Heat Waves, Wildfires And Flooding Are ‘What Global Warming Looks Like’,” Huffington Post, July 3, 2012, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/03/climate-change-us-heat-wave-wildfire-flooding_n_1645616.html; Bettina Boxall, “Earth may be near tipping point, scientists warn,” Los Angeles Times, June 7, 2012, http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0607-global-tipping-20120607,0,4125302.story; William J. Burroughs, Climate Change in Prehistory: The End of the Reign of Chaos (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University, 2005); Justin Gillis, “As Permafrost Thaws, Scientists Study the Risks,” New York Times, December 16, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/17/science/earth/warming-arctic-permafrost-fuels-climate-change-worries.html; Robert Henson, The Rough Guide to Climate Change, 2nd ed., (London: Rough Guides, 2008); Alok Jha, “Loss of Arctic sea ice ‘70% man-made’,” Guardian, July 25, 2012, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/26/arctic-climate-change; Jerry M. Melillo, Terese (T. C.) Richmond, and Gary W. Yohe, eds., “Climate Change Impacts in the United States:
    The Third National Climate Assessment,” U.S. Global Change Research Program 841, doi: 10.7930/J0Z31WJ2; Fred Pearce, With Speed and Violence: Why Scientists Fear Tipping Points in Climate Change (Boston: Beacon, 2007).
  12. [12]Kasia Anderson, “Pre-eminent Climate Scientist James Hansen Calls Paris Deal a ‘Fraud’; John Kerry Begs to Differ,” Truthdig, December 13, 2015,http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/preeminent_climate_scientist_calls_paris_deal_a_fraud_-_kerry_20151213; Mark McDonald, “U.N. Report from Rio on Environment a ‘Suicide Note’,” New York Times, June 24, 2012,http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/24/u-n-report-from-rio-on-environment-a-suicide-note/; Arthur Neslen and Karl Mathiesen, “Paris climate pledges ‘will only delay dangerous warming by two years’,” Guardian, June 3, 2015,http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/03/paris-climate-pledges-will-only-delay-dangerous-warming-by-two-years; Eugene Robinson, “Our politicians are flunking the vision test,” Washington Post, November 3, 2014,http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/eugene-robinson-our-politicians-are-flunking-the-vision-test/2014/11/03/2776c154-639e-11e4-836c-83bc4f26eb67_story.html; Alissa J. Rubin and Elian Peltier, “Protesters Are in Agreement as Well: Pact Is Too Weak,” New York Times, December 12, 2015,http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/13/world/europe/climate-activists-gather-in-paris-to-protest-outcome-of-conference.html; Roberto Savio, “The Future of the Planet and the Irresponsibility of Governments,” InterPress Service, November 21, 2014, http://www.ipsnews.net/2014/11/the-future-of-the-planet-and-the-irresponsibility-of-governments/; Roberto Savio, “The Sad Future of Our Planet,” InterPress Service, December 15, 2014, http://www.ipsnews.net/2014/12/the-sad-future-of-our-planet/
  13. [13]Greta Gaard, “Vegetarian Ecofeminism: A Review Essay,” Frontiers 23, no. 3 (2002): 117-146.
  14. [14]J. B. Veiga et al., “Cattle ranching in the Amazon rainforest,” Food and Agriculture Organization, 2003, http://www.fao.org/3/xii/0568-b1.htm

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