Conquest Mentality Modern Environmentalism

The prevailing idea that there are relationships and interactions between people and nature, knowledge, and spirit is known as the conquest mindset. Given its emphasis on human dominance and power dynamics, this view may be regarded as paranoid. Modern people have adopted a position that is influenced by scientific research as well as ideas about the spirit of psychedelic items and their uses. For example, during the time of exploration, Spanish explorers discovered sophisticated psychedelic cultures in the new world where people coexisted peacefully with nature. The Spaniards wanted to conquer the new people, so they engaged in conflict with them rather than coexisting amicably. This is one example of a conquest mentality in which humans destroy the ecosystem for fear of losing power or control of certain phenomena. The idea is to conquer the communities or creatures that seem to be a threat to their power and control the ecosystem. The men that went to Huasteca wanted to exert power over the workers and nature. They included Doheny, an American entrepreneur who transformed the beaches and scrublands of Los Angles (Santiago 12). In this case, he conquered nature and transformed the environment by using their power over nature conquering it for profitable gains. They founded oil companies that changed the nature of Hausteca and destroyed the natural landscape. The idea of conquest mentality lies on the belief that human beings have power over nature and alters it for their own gains. This has led to changes in the natural landscape of geographical regions, mass murders, and other destructions in the world.

Modern Environmentalism

Modern environmentalism tries to integrate several scientific fields to help in maintaining the environment. It focuses on utilization of technology in helping to improve the living standards of human beings while trying to sustain the environment and avoid its destruction. To understand the ecosystems better some concepts such as Maximum Sustainable Yield are of great help to humans by helping in environmental conservation. It also focuses on climate change, corporate social responsibility, and sustainable development. Modern environmentalists are concerned with other issues such as economy and social organizations that may affect the environment. In fact, some cities are encouraging use of transit-oriented developments to help in lowering dependence on vehicles to reduce pollution. Companies are also keen on environmental matters and use materials, which are less harmful when manufacturing their products such as those that emit less carbon gases. Modern environmentalists may view productive work as destruction of nature and fail to understand that work enables human beings to discover nature. However, some recognize that modern work improves nature although it may leave an indelible mark on the natural environment (White, 1996). Hunters, herders, farmers, gatherers, and industrial employees have changed the natural environment by altering its original natural state. Environmentalists like to associate work with degradation of the environment since human labor tends to leave the natural environment poorer than they found it. For instance, when they cut trees the land is left bare and it may be impossible to replace the trees that are cut.

Environmental Justice

Environmental justice can be defined as the fair treatment of every person and appreciation of their meaningful involvement without considering their race, color, ethnic origin, or income in developing, implementing, and enforcing environmental law, policies, and regulations. This can be possible if every person enjoys the same protection from health and environmental hazards and one has equal access to the process of making decisions that relate to environmental protection. It can be considered a vital tool in the improvement and maintenance of a clean and healthy environment especially by reducing pollution. The environmental justice movement recognizes that people live in polluted environments especially the low-income class. In America, communities of color live in places where the government has targeted for hosting facilities that have negative impacts on the environment such as landfills, industries, and dump sites. Depositing of toxic industrial wastes lazed with dangerous chemicals is an environmental injustice, which should be fought. The northern Mexican border host several industrial parks and factories with several impacts on the residents. For instance, there are reported cases of children born with neural-tube defects such as spina bifida (Carruthers, 2008). Journalists, policy-makers, and scholars focus on the effects of the environmental pollution on the health of the population especially the cases of birth defects. When individuals or groups campaign against environmental pollution, they are said to be dealing with issues of environmental justice. Production of energy, electing of power transmission lines and power plants can negatively affect the environment. Although the projects are for improving the livelihoods of humans, they can lead to environmental injustice.

Varied meanings of sustainability

Sustainability is a concept found in various mission statements of corporate groups and other institutions thus has several meanings. It is a term used for describing different approaches towards improvement of peoples’ way of life. It can mean reducing the harm humans have on the environment and reversing the harm that has already occurred. For instance, people should focus on reducing soil erosion while at the same time trying to recover lands that have been damaged by the erosion. It can also refer to the renewal of resources at almost the same rate at which they are being consumed to avoid degradation. In addition, being able to live with the planet’s resources without causing damage on the environment promotes quality life. The important factor is improving quality of life for everybody, which can be done by renewing resources and the environment. A community, which is sustainable, is one in which all resources whether natural, human, or economic are renewed and always in balance. If one of them is depleted life becomes very difficult. It also means living a dignified life, which is harmonized with nature such as having sustainable developments, agriculture, sutainable living, and businesses among others. Whenever urban issues such as water pollution and toxic waste are discussed, the aim is to ensure sustainability of the environment by solving the problem (Steinberg, 2002). Therefore, sustainability is creation of a world in which everybody enjoys life and fulfils daily needs.

The most convincing concept is the environmental justice since it considers the welfare of the natural phenomena on earth. Although humans make use of land to improve their living conditions, it is unwise to deplete the resources. Fighting against issues such as pollution, deforestation, setting of industrial centers in residential areas, and failing to control human activities that lead to degradation of the immediate environment is termed as environmental degradation. The concept has enabled protection of natural features and reduction of pollution in many areas through public outcries and demonstrations. Everybody should ensure justice for the immediate environment and avoid activities that degrade it.

Part 2

Naomi Oreskes and Eric Conway’s work is an imagination of a world suffering the impact of climate change in their book (Oreskes & Conway, 2014). People are interested in serving their own interests by using production processes that lead to mass production of carbon gases. My preferred environmental future should experience less climate change in which the levels of pollution should be very low. Currently the effect of global warming are evident but with proper control of greenhouse gas emissions it is possible to change the current environmental situation. Environmentalists and scholars are doing the best to ensure that pollution is minimized and humans understand the dangers of environmental degradation. The future environmental look will require various parties to put more effort and embark on programs that can bring about major changes in the environment. Some of the agents include climate change activists to campaign against pollution of the environment, which is the major cause of climate change in the globe. Some of the solutions by these activists include protection of the natural ecosystem in which some human activities such as cutting down of trees and burning of vegetation will be highly regulated. In addition, industries and manufacturers should use green energy to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by burning of fossil fuels. The other actors that will play a role in reducing climate change are the researchers through their research activities that will give findings on the best ways of mitigating climate change. Preservation of the environment is very important, and the government will play a big role in ensuring that funding of activism activities, and environmental research are done promptly.

Some of the obstacles that the agents who will be bringing the new future will face include financial challenges to fund projects aimed at reducing global warming and climate change. Raising of environmental awareness will also require adequate financing to reach as many people as possible and convince them to be positive about environmental change. The financial support may come from the government, non-governmental bodies concerned with promotion of the environment, and donors. The funds will be channeled to environmental projects aimed at reducing global warming and solving the problem of environmental change. Ignorance about the importance of the environment and reasons to deal with climate change is another obstacle to be overcome. Education on the importance of preserving the natural ecosystem will also be very vital in ensuring a future environment that supports all creatures through its vibrant vegetation and other natural phenomena. The polity, which will be required, will include a government system that support environmental activists and other actors that play a role in protecting the natural ecosystem. Allocation of funds by the government every financial year will be a great step towards protection of nature. Again, the system should allow formulation of laws that dictate punishment for those that defy environmental requirements and the ones that pollute the environment. To achieve a future with minimal climate change policies will need to be formulated to help in ensuring that organizations, manufacturers, and individuals participate in environmental conservation measures. Producers should be required to turn to green energy instead of using fossil fuels during production. Everybody must participate in practices and projects designed by activists to help in dealing with factors that contribute to climate change. The nations, groups, individual, classes, and other actors will agree on every positive idea that helps in environmental conservation. This means that they will unanimously agree on every action that will help in dealing with climate change especially the requirement to avoid using fossil fuels and use biofuels. There will be no inequality in all nations and life with be quite interesting.

References

Carruthers, D. V. (2008). Where Local Meets Global: Environmental Justice on the US-Mexico Border. Environmental Justice in Latin America: Problems, Promise and Practice, 136-160.

Oreskes, N., & Conway, E. M. (2014). The Collapse of Western Civilization: A View from the Future. Columbia University Press. Santiago, M. I. (2006). The Ecology of Oil: Environment, Labor, and the Mexican Revolution, 1900-1938. Cambridge University Press.

Steinberg, T. (2002). Down to Earth: Nature, Agency, and Power in History. The American Historical Review, 107(3), 798-820.

White, R. (1996). Are you an Environmentalist or Do you Work for a Living?: Work and Nature. Uncommon Ground: Rethinking the Human Place in Nature, 172.