What Must Environmentalists Block, Crash, Throw and Burn to Be Heard?
It seems that, if environmentalists block roads with their own bodies, crash sport or business events, or throw food or paint on well-protected artworks, in order to demand changes that might just still offer a chance to have a livable future on this planet, they’re vandals and criminals that lose the support of the rest of the population and need to be sentenced even to prison terms. However, if farmers block roads with their machines, derail a crucial EU summit that should have been about Ukraine, or throw or dump manure or food or even set fires at national or even European institutions, in order to demand to be allowed to continue harmful practices and destroy the future for questionable immediate gains, they’re justified in their protests, gain the support of the general public as well as that of the decision makers, and obtain concessions with days… Which concessions are, of course, at the expense of the environment.
The hypocrisy is all too obvious… But not in the least surprising, of course. After all, humans are excellent at making others pay for their choices, and all, including those with little wealth, power or social standing, who otherwise pay for the choices of those who are in much better positions, tend to throw that burden on the environment the first chance they get, seeing as other species and the ecosystem can’t pay, vote, sue or even speak out, and if they happen to block, crash, throw or burn anything, it’s not on purpose or for a demand. What may seem absurd, but is mostly just ironic, is that the effects of climate change and even soil degradation are used to justify these concessions that weaken environmental regulations that may attempt to at least slow the progress of those very problems, and which are already unbearably inadequate anyway. That would be so funny if it wouldn’t be so sad… But, again, it’s hardly unexpected, humans as a whole being far from the intelligent, rational creatures that most like to think they are.
So, with things as they are, the question is what should environmentalists block, crash, throw or burn in order to be heard? Or, better yet, how should they speak out in order to give the other species and the ecosystem a voice that these irrational, irresponsible, greedy, shortsighted, shallow creatures that make up the overwhelming majority of humanity will listen to? Is this just another straw added to the humongous pile of evidence that shows how completely hopeless the situation is or may there be some lessons to be learned, hidden somewhere behind the hypocrisy, irony and utter stupidity?
