I don’t usually spin war stories, but to explain what follows, I must go back to the roots of a lifelong commitment to the planet. Forty years ago, at thirteen, I joined the Lynx Clubs of the former ADENA, today known as the WWF. I began environmental activism by gathering street signatures to urge the Canadian government to end the killing of seal pups. My work grew bolder: before turning eighteen, she served as one of two environmental representatives on the board of the Cuenca Alta del Manzanares Regional Park, Madrid’s principal conservation area at the time.
Back then, it would have seemed unlikely that, four decades later, the planet’s health would still be under threat. Yet science confirms the trend. The scientific community’s patience, once hidden behind a veil, grew thin as environmental activism rose to prominence. The scientists’ protest before the Congress of Deputies became a clear sign that the moment had arrived to demand stronger action. The author warmly welcomes progress that extends this essential work.
In recent years the term ecoanxiety has entered common usage to describe the fear born from the ecological emergency. Alongside ecoanxiety, anger and hopelessness have long accompanied environmental crises, and they persist. The author has faced these feelings in the past and believes it is possible to move beyond them by protecting emotional health. Scientists and activists alike can help themselves and the cause by establishing healthy boundaries and sustained resilience.
Nature is also cruel
The author’s approach blends self-reflection with study of how the human mind works. Reading and meditation on behavior and neuroscience form part of this learning. From this process arises the realization that the ecological emergency shares its roots with other crises in human history. Our species began with a harsh arc, even if its beauty shines through. Evolution’s greatest achievement is the power to adapt, a force that can sustain individuals best matched to the environment. The challenge is to avoid a design that harms rather than helps, recognizing that a bad start often leads to a bad end.
This origin has fostered habits deeply embedded in our genes, shaping how people behave. Wild capitalism can be viewed as a modern translation of natural laws into a social system. Yet humans stand apart: with the ability to reshape ecosystems and even weaponize destruction, we can no longer afford to let those laws guide us. The path forward requires suppressing ruthless competition in favor of cooperation. Learning to cooperate and share becomes essential for planetary awareness and for preventing widespread disasters.
This historical undercurrent has molded habits that persist in our genes and influence behavior. Wild capitalism translates nature’s rules into a modern social frame. Because of humanity’s capacity to alter ecosystems and to deploy destructive technologies, a shift away from cutthroat competition toward collaboration is vital. The ability to cooperate and share is the cornerstone of global awareness and a defense against disaster.
But people are aware
Animal behavior remains largely consistent with ancestral patterns, evolving mostly in the biological sphere. In humans, evolution includes another factor: consciousness. Research into psychology and social ethics shows that empathy and a holistic sense of existence propel progress, helping people discern their place and understand cause and effect more clearly.
The animal rights movement demonstrates empathy in action, just as human rights campaigns for women and minorities have historically shown progress. Environmentalism, which took root in the 1960s, has broadened its focus to include the planet that sustains all life, reflecting a shift in perspective that stretches beyond human relations.
Consciousness grows through increasingly inclusive environments. There is a parallel between personal development and societal evolution, since societies are made up of individuals. While psychological growth differs by person, certain patterns emerge at different stages. For instance, among pre-adolescents and teens, tribal dynamics and peer groups can fuel violence and exclusion, with empathy not yet extending to others or to nature. Many tribal societies, including exclusive nationalism, xenophobia, racism, and fundamentalism, often overlook the rights of nature.
Science further reveals the vast influence of the subconscious on behavior, shaped by lifelong conditioning. Sometimes people reason with remarkable clarity, yet the underlying process remains rooted in subconscious drives. This realization has renewed debates about free will, a topic explored in neurophilosophy, the intersection of neuroscience and philosophy.
The key: growing up in a suitable environment
Again, the solution to lifting the weight of subconscious patterns lies in elevating consciousness. A supportive environment is essential for human potential. Reducing interference that can derail emotional and cognitive development matters, especially since chronic suffering in childhood correlates with later challenges. The prevalence of psychopathy in leadership roles appears elevated compared with the broader population, underscoring the need for empathetic, well-trained minds. A brain nurtured in a healthy emotional climate, coupled with education in emotional and cognitive skills, is more likely to produce compassionate, holistic thinkers.
Grasping this dynamic informs decisions about the most suitable education systems and social models. Digesting the ecological emergency without despair requires acknowledging that transformation unfolds over centuries or millennia. The species is young, and missteps are part of growth. This century could prove decisive in steering humanity toward a wiser course.
Extinction is unlikely except in a nuclear disaster or a cosmic impact. In this century, groups of people with the right mental parameters may emerge worldwide, redefining human history to avert collapse. Visionaries who understand existence and being may guide the species toward a sustainable path, even as biotechnology raises uncertain and risky possibilities.
Miguel A. Ortega is the founder and chair of the NGO Reforesta and the author of a book on the subject.
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