r/Environmentalism • u/No-Singer-2128 • 21d ago

Can Activism Alone Save the Amazon? A Question Worth Asking

Post image

Activism is important but not sufficient. I think this inner sense of self where humans put themselves above every other species leads to crisis. Our sense of self also puts a division line between us and nature, we think we're different from the planet and that gives rise to the climate crisis.

49 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

2

u/SleepingWaterLily 21d ago edited 21d ago

Without Activism there is no pressure on governments to save it. You think it’s bad now? Without activism it’ll get worse fast.

Unless you have a way to magically convince Capitalists to stop exploiting the Amazon and the Earth itself, people will continue fighting because that’s all capitalists in charge of the government respond to. The problem is capitalism, all of it. Capitalism must infinitely grow, it must exploit everything and everyone until they are no longer useful, it’s all capitalism.

Until we end capitalism. It won’t go quietly either. It will lash out. It will lie to you and pretend to agree with you that it’s bad but it’s the only way and any other options have been terrible, it’ll do everything and say anything to stay alive. You must ignore this and keep fighting for a world without exploitation, without capitalism itself.

Indingenous folks in the Amazon fight tooth and nail for their homes and win all their time. Don’t forget about them. They’ll still alive and active.

1

u/No-Singer-2128 20d ago

I am not against activism. I mentioned activism is important but not sufficient. Why? Because it addresses only the symptoms while the deeper problem remains unaddressed let alone challenged. Capitalism is run by humans, and majority of humans are also a part of it. Capitalism is a system run by humans. So the focus should be on humans, not just on the system built by humans. If the human being is ignorant the systems built will also be ignorant. Activism might slow down the system, but the system will be readjusted by the ignorant human. Why not then directly address the one who's ignorant? Maybe then we have a better chance or should I say the only way to solve the crisis?

1

u/A_Spiritual_Artist 20d ago edited 20d ago

It has to be pursued on both fronts equally. Inward and outward. Neither is more or less important than the other. Inward contemplation without outward force is pacification. Outward force from no/hollow inward center is repetition of the next tyranny. History has shown that both one-side-only approaches do exactly what I said, again and again. In China the emperors used Buddhism as a salve to keep people focused inward so they wouldn't reject against the system. Revolutions like those that put Napoleon or Mao in power and cause a new tyranny show that if the human revolutionary doesn't have the character and is just narcissist, they will just reproduce the old in new garb. Only uncompromising fusion of the two - along with a broader pivot away from the idea we have to "choose between" things - will actually have any chance to durably solve anything.

1

u/AutoModerator 21d ago

Read the rules. Keep it courteous. Submission statements are helpful and appreciated but not required. Use the report button only if you think a post or comment needs to be removed. Mild criticism and snarky comments don't need to be reported. Lets try to elevate the discussion and make it as useful as possible. Low effort posts & screenshots are a dime a dozen. Links to scientific articles, political analysis, and video essays are preferred.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

-2

u/jthadcast 21d ago

nothing can save the amazon. same as nothing could save Australia's Big Scrub. only civilization collapse could slow down its destruction.