I’m not one to tell war stories, but to explain what I’m about to tell, I have no choice but to touch upon the origins of my commitment to the planet. 40 years ago, when I was 13, I joined the lynx clubs of then ADENA, today the WWF. I started my environmental activism by collecting street signatures to ask the Canadian Government to stop the killing of baby seals. This activism went even further, and before she turned 18 she was one of two representatives of environmentalism on the board of the Cuenca Alta del Manzanares Regional Park, which was then the main conservation area of the Community of Madrid.
At that time, it would not have crossed my mind that forty years from now, the health of the planet would deteriorate even further. However, science confirms that it does. This exhausted the scientific community’s patience, hitherto hidden behind the curtain, as the environmental movement rocked the scene. The protest of scientists before the Congress of Deputies is part of this “enough is enough”. I sincerely welcome your step that takes your invaluable work even further.
In recent years The term “ecoanxiety” has been used to express the fear created by the ecological emergency.. In addition to eco-anxiety, there are also feelings of anger and hopelessness that, although more common now, have been the effects of the ecological crisis for decades. I had to deal with them a while ago and I think I got over them. You need to protect yourself by taking an emotional distance. I hope that scientists and all people involved in the environmental movement know how to do this, because if they succeed, it will be better for them and our cause.
Nature is also cruel
My recipe for overcoming this disorder is a mix of self-behaviorism and learning about the human mind. Introspection through reading and meditation about human behavior and neuroscience is included in this learning. The first consequence of this process is that the question has an existential origin, and therefore a philosophical one. The causes of the ecological emergency are the same as those that cause the rest of the crises and human suffering. Our history as a species starts badly because, No matter how idealized we may be, our origin is as cruel as it is beautiful. The greatest manifestation of intelligence in it is the power of evolution, which is used to develop capacities that are impersonal and difficult to beat, and that make it easier to replicate their own genes for the survival of the individuals best adapted to the environment. around. Our challenge is to avoid lethal design that says what it is. bad start, bad end.
This origin has produced habits that are embedded in our genes and condition our behavior. Wild capitalism is the translation of the laws of nature on a social and contemporary scale.. But because of our ability to change ecosystems and create weapons of mass destruction, humans should no longer and cannot abide by these laws. In our case, we must put competition in the background and prioritize cooperation. Learning to cooperate and share is essential to cultivating planetary and species awareness, a necessary skill for disaster avoidance.
But people are aware
The behavior of the rest of the animals is essentially the same as their ancestors practiced a thousand years ago and will continue to be practically the same in the next millennium. Its evolution seems to be limited to the biological plane. Backwards, In the human case, there is another variable in evolution: consciousness.. According to various studies on the human psyche and social value systems, key elements of the advancement of consciousness are the advancement of empathy and a more holistic understanding of existence that facilitates better integration. all a more intuitive understanding of where we belong and cause-effect relationships.
An example of a display of empathy is the recent animal rights movement. So has activism in favor of human rights, women and minorities on a historical scale. Likewise, environmentalism, born in the sixties of the last century, is a clear sign of this progress, as it takes its perspective beyond human relations and encompasses the planet that gives us life.
Consciousness advances in ever more inclusive environments. There is a parallelism between deployment at the individual level and at the societal level. This makes sense because, after all, societies are made up of individuals. Although psychological development differs from person to person, there are patterns specific to each stage. Consider, for example, the tribal behavior of pre-adolescents and adolescents who are particularly identified with peer groups. Violence and abuse are more common at this age. His empathy does not reach “others” or nature. Likewise, most tribal societies (exclusive nationalism, xenophobia, racism, and religious fundamentalisms that are manifestations of tribalism) are not characterized by “different” or respect for the rights of nature.
Moreover, science reveals the enormous scope of conditioning we bring “from the factory” for the simple truth of being human. and what we have acquired throughout our lives. This conditioning governs most of our behavior through the subconscious. Sometimes we reason very cleverly, but that reasoning is our subconscious, not ours. This reality is so overwhelming that it has reignited the debate around free will through a specialization in philosophy called neurophilosophy.
The key: growing up in a suitable environment
Again, The recipe for getting rid of the weight of our subconscious is to raise our level of consciousness. How? Seeking a suitable environment for the development of human potential. For this, it is essential to reduce interference that can seriously affect the development of our psyche. For example, psychopathy seems to stem from chronic and intense suffering in childhood. This suffering, which is not caused by physical violence, has enormous repercussions in human history, as the proportion of psychopaths in positions of political and economic power is estimated to be two to five times higher than the entire world. society. Again, A brain that develops in an adequate affective environment and at the same time receives adequate training in the emotional and cognitive domains will most likely produce an empathetic person. and with the ability to develop a holistic consciousness.
Understanding this is essential for deciding on the most appropriate education system and social model. In order to digest the ecological emergency without despair, it is a necessary condition to assume that these processes take centuries or millennia. Our species is still young, and more mistakes are made in youth. Probably this century will be decisive.
Our species will not become extinct except in a nuclear disaster or an impact from outer space. Backwards, During this century, it is quite possible that groups of people with the mental parameters suitable for illuminating the new world will emerge all over the planet. this is due to the collapse of the existing. Humans with a level of understanding of their existence and Being superior to that of the average person today, capable of reorienting human history to prevent our decline as a species or, as various authors have warned and argued, our transformation through biotechnology. It is a product with uncertain and risky properties.
Miguel A. ortega He is the founder and chairman of the NGO Reforesta. The author of the book