By Chad Marvin
Personally taking action in order to support or oppose a
stance is a very valiant thing. Contemporarily, it is often seen than although
there are ample approaches one could take to voice ones opinions, quite often
these beliefs lie dormant while the world remains as active and ever-changing
as ever. Of course many of these changes can be good, but who is to say all of
them are, better yet who is to even know about them in the first place? Enter
the activist, the one who amidst all over the alterations occurring across the
globe is able to pin down just one, or maybe a few more, and will then see that
change through to assure it is revised with reason. Assemblages of people exist
around the world carrying out such tasks and speaking individualistically, I am
grateful for them. Look to any ecosystem or organism and you will certainly
find that the one with the most balance in it, the one containing greater
overall diversity, will also be the one who better thrives compared to one that
lacks such a variety in its composure. This thriving example is in essence what
the activist brings to a situation, a form of something that in it greater
uniqueness is more well rounded and apt to exist as a part of the public world.
In Communicating
Nature, author Julia
Corbett talks about how much complexity there is when trying to create the
changes that activists will often seek to make. She starts by expressing the
initial circumstances we face in saying “Since the earliest days of our
country, our founders were concerned with crafting a system of governance that
had both stability but also adaptability.” Essentially eluding to the fact that
in society we do have a well-grounded system that is able to withstand whatever
forces that may seek to spread their influence, but also that this system at
the same time cannot be impenetrable to this influences for some may be
necessary. Corbett goes on to talk about
the various ways the changes may come about within this system. She brings up
different peoples that may seek change like “grassroot groups, ”institutional
groups,” or even the “individual.” All
of them have different motives and often these motives can even conflict with
one and other, for all are often actively trying to get a message across and if
one person is saying one thing already odds are another will be saying
something else. Corbett says “Through its story frame, each message will define
the problem, who’s responsible, and the solution differently.” Meaning that
between all the messages coming in there is probably as good balance of
information coming from differing positions.
So how does the small environmentalist fit in to such
large and at times hectic schemes, all while still having the time to still
separate the trash and plastics? Corbett at first doesn’t even appear sure
offering these discouraging words “Yet scholars have found that environmental
concerns tend to be a mile wide but and inch deep – meaning that either
favorable opinions do not match behaviors, or that opinions are not connected
to on-the-ground conditions and choices of the individual, government,
businesses and so on.” But then she goes onto detail the progressions made, “As
a social movement, the environmental movement today little resembles the one
that began over a hundred years ago. Some environmental groups are as large as
small corporations” progressions have been made and in quick time too.
Environmental groups are taking small steps each day to achieve a world that
better respects nature, Corbett says “ our culture has accepted very limited
definitions: wilderness is an environmental issue” this is a huge step. But she does say that we are limited. She
also if you have noticed in these quotes leaves the optimism to a minimum, “limited”
“small corporations” so where does the environmentalist go towards to achieve
success in making social change? Corbett suggests that the answer is right in
front of us, in our name. As we have grown and assimilated into being regularity
in society, to being that of a small corporation, we have lost the essence of
who we are, corporations and groups that are quite the opposite of
environmentalists have managed to receive our “green” image to keep themselves
safe. We need a new meaning or understanding behind us, something that better
defines the environmentalist and environmentalism, says Corbett “We must
enlarge the definition of environmental messages and where we find them, and to
be encouraged to go beyond face value.” This is our direction, we must confront
the roadblock we are at and create a sign saying, “Take next exit towards the
new and improved environmentalism.”
But what if we don’t? In The Year of the Flood, Margaret Atwood puts fourth a story
with a supposition that doesn’t present the greatest outlook as far as what is
ahead for us. Set in a post-apocalyptic place, environmental concerns are
placed at the forefront of the reader’s attention. A quote from one of the main
characters and leader of a group called The Gardeners reads “do not descend to
a level that is too deep for any resurgence, or the Night will come in which
all hours are the same to you, and then there will be no hope.” This advice
comes for in the book, there are countless amounts of individuals, groups, gangs,
cults and even governments that will not hesitate to attack, kill or even rape
anyone who they come across. They live in an extremely threatening time where
The Gardeners, a religious, environmental group of vegans who seek to live a
lifestyle that is respectful to all organisms seem to be the last shred of home
in an otherwise completely corrupt world. Adam one is constantly giving them
messages similar to this warning them to be safe and it is even seen in the
book when Adam thirteen is murdered by the government “CorpSeMen.” The book in
a way is almost suggesting many of the things we hear in Communicating Nature where the
environmental name is losing it’s image and the world is moving in a bad
direction where something must be done.
Examples in the media can also show us the direction in
which we must go towards to bringing a good meaning behind environmentalism. In
the film Bidder 70 a man, Tim DeChristopher goes to a big gas and oil
business auction and bids for a piece of land that was going to be used as part
of the oil and gas businesses operations which would have absolutely damaged
the land and surrounding area. DeChristopher won the auction but had no intentions
of actually paying, he just wanted to stop this land from being abused and took
the role of the activist to do so. DeChristopher went to jail for two years for
this but he brought much attention to this issue through his actions. One can
also look the movie The East where a women infiltrates a company that
both targets Eco terrorists and heavily pollutes the environment. Through the
story we see another way in which an activist could and maybe even should
intervene in some situations to help the environment, even if it is dangerous
to do so. The movie really makes you think, how much has to do on in the world
before you yourself need to get up and take a stand against it all.
Another example comes in the article Eco-Activists
Resist Eviction From Bristol Treetops, author
Steven Morris gives us good understanding of how important it is for people to
stand up for environmental issues. In it talks about a group of people living
in the trees of an area that people are trying to bulldoze through, even
through that area has some of the most important food growing lands. “Many local people and allotment
holders are also opposing the scheme. They point out that the area is part of
Bristol’s blue finger, where there is prime growing soil.” Obviously the
protests made in this case were rightfully carried out. Just think about
how important it is to have to noble activist now having all the sources I have
presented in this blog post. What if environmentalism doesn’t gain a new
meaning in time, what if companies keep trying to just wreck our land and food
sources? What could happen? Are we really that far away from the circumstances
in The Year of the Flood?
Personally, I don’t want to find out and I’ll be active, in acting as an
activist as much as I can because there is great power behind the making the
choice to have a voice.
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