Humility in a Climate Age

34 T I K K U N W W W. T I K K U N . O R G M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 Humilityina ClimateAge by Paul Wapner T here is a battle going on for the soul of environmentalism. How it plays out will determine our ability to respond to a whole host of environmental dilemmas, especially climate change. All of us are partners in this struggle, since battle lines are beingdrawnnotsimplyonthestreetorinpolicydebatesbutalso inside each of us. We are torn between two visions of how to relate to the earth. Much depends on how we negotiate our way through the conflict. One vision sees Homo sapiens as merely one of many species, and thus subject to the same biophysical constraints as other creatures:Liketherestoflife,weevolvedovermillennia,anddepend fundamentally on the biophysical gifts of the earth. From an environmental perspective, this means that we should try to harmonizeourselveswiththenaturalworld—weshoulduseonly so many resources and produce only so much waste, and generally strive to fit ourselves into the web of ecological interdependence. The other vision sees humans as the exceptional species: Yes, we are subject to nature’s laws, but these are not inviolate. We can outsmart, work around, or otherwise rise above them by employing our reason and technological abilities. From an environmental perspective, our exceptionalism calls on us not to harmonize ourselves with nature but to rework the natural world in the service of human betterment. The first view can be called the urge toward naturalism whereas the second can be called the urge toward mastery. For decades, environmentalists have primarily expressed the firstviewintheirpoliticalorientationandcampaigns.Theyhave tendedtoconfronttheircriticsalongthe naturalism-masterydivide , offering a counter-narrative to the predominant, hubristic attitude of lording over nature and trying to instill a sense of species-humility in the face of growing environmental challenges. Environmentalismischanging,however,especiallyinlightof the climate crisis. Many are now toning down or outright abandoning a naturalist sensibility for one leaning toward mastery. We see this in the attraction to technological fixes as evident in the resurgence of support for nuclear power, the popularity of carbon sequestration, and the embrace of “green” consumption. Paul Wapner is associate professor and director of the Global Environmental Politics program at American University. His most recent book is Living Through the End of Nature: The Future of American Environmentalism (MIT Press 2010). CREATIVE COMMONS/ONEEIGHTEEN Take your well-disciplined strengths and stretch them between two opposing poles. Because inside human beings is where God learns. —Rainer Maria Rilke ENVIRONMENTALISM Politics_1.qxd:Politics 4/13/10 1:10 PM Page 34 M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 W W W. T I K K U N . O R G T I K K U N 35 Today, some staunch environmentalists are even proposing earth-altering actions to protect ourselves from the dangerous buildup of greenhouse gases, seeking to change the atmosphere itself to accept more carbon dioxide or at least deflect climate change dangers. Proposals include putting up orbiting sunshades to block sunlight, fertilizing the oceans with iron to grow more phytoplankton to absorb carbon dioxide, and pumping sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere to impede solar radiation. Manyenvironmentalistshavecomereluctantlytorecognizethat thereissimplynowaythatsocietiesaregoingtocutback,restrict their imprint on the earth, and otherwise live lightly on the planet enough to mitigate climate change. Too many people need energy and are unwilling to deny themselves the pleasures of material consumption for an orientation of naturalism to take hold widely enough to make a difference. At this stage, they reason ,weshouldrampupourabilitiestooutsmartandmanipulate nature in the service of protecting ourselves from climate catastrophe . Put differently, many environmentalists are now admitting that global capitalism, incessant technological innovation, endless consumption, and pervasive anthropocentrism are here to stay. Rather than continue to battle against these dynamics in the service of living more harmoniously with the natural world, many argue that it is time to embrace them and align ourselves with their power. Thereismuchpromisetothe“newenvironmentalism.”Inthe shadow of Copenhagen’s failed negotiations, we are all grasping atstrawsforinsight,andthenotionthattechnologicalfixescould enable us to surmount climate change dangers within the existing world order (and with our lifestyles intact) appears particularly attractive, especially to the privileged among us. And yet, for all its promise, the new environmentalism raises significant...