Efforts to foster global environmental policy change have been ongoing for decades. And yet, despite worsening environmental degradation and loss of nature as the climate crisis continues, environmental violence and sustainability still seem to be kept at the margins of political discussions, despite environmental safety being crucial for maintaining global security and achieving long-term social and economic progress.
Whenever states briefly mention the importance of combating climate change, or a new COP meeting takes place, it simply feels like the international realm is checking off a ‘climate change’ box, rather than treating it as an existential issue to be tackled. This shallow, unspecific approach to environmental policy (and its contradictory investments) generates weak implementation strategies that continually fail to produce tangible changes. Meanwhile, everyone watching becomes exhausted by and desensitised to their inconsistent actions and repetitive claims about the state of the climate crisis, generating a political environment in which the issue isn’t taken seriously.
For instance, even when Reform UK’s representatives made statements about wanting to scrap Net Zero, the environmental consequences of implementing this idea seemed to be some of the least discussed. While the horrific effects this would have in terms of cutting jobs, driving away private investment, and creating instability in the energy sector (and thus for peoples’ energy bills) are significant, why are the environmental repercussions of ceasing the UK’s progress towards sustainability not seen as equally appalling, when environmental progress is the core of the Net Zero framework’s purpose?
Some might argue that this is because ‘practical’ factors need to be prioritised. And while I do understand this sentiment — particularly considering the cost of living and employment crises — it also serves to show how environmental protection is viewed as detached from these political concerns, when they are in fact deeply interconnected, particularly in terms of human wellbeing and health.
This perceived disconnect between politics and the environment is also clearly illustrated by how climate activists are treated. Environmental activist Greta Thunberg has been strongly criticised for her activism for Palestine, with some people wondering why she’s suddenly gotten ‘political’, both failing to recognise the inextricable bond between war and nature destruction, specifically, and politics and the environment in general. Moreover, alongside repressions on climate protests by complicit states and corporations, environmental activists are also being increasingly harassed and portrayed as ‘annoying’ or ‘disruptive’, making the whole situation feel insupportable.
While I relate to some people’s feelings of hopelessness regarding the climate crisis, I find the thought-terminating logic of disregarding any political issue just because supposedly “nothing can be done about it anyway” to be a lazy way out of having difficult, yet important discussions that actively counteract such institutional efforts to silence environmental activism.
Even simply creating walkable, green cities can improve our health and sociability, while mitigating global climate insecurities. Taking activists seriously and being vocal about environmental violence is an important step towards recognising that sustainability is crucial for human progress.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
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The Glaring Disconnect Between Politics and Environmental Violence
Efforts to foster global environmental policy change have been ongoing for decades. And yet, despite worsening environmental degradation and loss of nature as the climate crisis continues, environmental violence and sustainability still seem to be kept at the margins of political discussions, despite environmental safety being crucial for maintaining global security and achieving long-term social and economic progress.
Whenever states briefly mention the importance of combating climate change, or a new COP meeting takes place, it simply feels like the international realm is checking off a ‘climate change’ box, rather than treating it as an existential issue to be tackled. This shallow, unspecific approach to environmental policy (and its contradictory investments) generates weak implementation strategies that continually fail to produce tangible changes. Meanwhile, everyone watching becomes exhausted by and desensitised to their inconsistent actions and repetitive claims about the state of the climate crisis, generating a political environment in which the issue isn’t taken seriously.
For instance, even when Reform UK’s representatives made statements about wanting to scrap Net Zero, the environmental consequences of implementing this idea seemed to be some of the least discussed. While the horrific effects this would have in terms of cutting jobs, driving away private investment, and creating instability in the energy sector (and thus for peoples’ energy bills) are significant, why are the environmental repercussions of ceasing the UK’s progress towards sustainability not seen as equally appalling, when environmental progress is the core of the Net Zero framework’s purpose?
Some might argue that this is because ‘practical’ factors need to be prioritised. And while I do understand this sentiment — particularly considering the cost of living and employment crises — it also serves to show how environmental protection is viewed as detached from these political concerns, when they are in fact deeply interconnected, particularly in terms of human wellbeing and health.
This perceived disconnect between politics and the environment is also clearly illustrated by how climate activists are treated. Environmental activist Greta Thunberg has been strongly criticised for her activism for Palestine, with some people wondering why she’s suddenly gotten ‘political’, both failing to recognise the inextricable bond between war and nature destruction, specifically, and politics and the environment in general. Moreover, alongside repressions on climate protests by complicit states and corporations, environmental activists are also being increasingly harassed and portrayed as ‘annoying’ or ‘disruptive’, making the whole situation feel insupportable.
While I relate to some people’s feelings of hopelessness regarding the climate crisis, I find the thought-terminating logic of disregarding any political issue just because supposedly “nothing can be done about it anyway” to be a lazy way out of having difficult, yet important discussions that actively counteract such institutional efforts to silence environmental activism.
Even simply creating walkable, green cities can improve our health and sociability, while mitigating global climate insecurities. Taking activists seriously and being vocal about environmental violence is an important step towards recognising that sustainability is crucial for human progress.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
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