The Precipice: How the End of Nature Might be the Beginning of Something New

The questions posed below are based on readings from Coming to Age at the End of Nature, a book that offers a diverse range of essays from the youth of my generation, and Joyful Militancy, a book focusing on building resistance using positive affect (Cite books here)

Do you feel like you’re coming of age at the end of nature? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

 

I can still recall the gut-wrenching feeling of driving through the central valley(CV) of California on my way West from my family home in the foothills of the central Sierra. I had learned in a community college course that the CV was once a giant floodplain that stretched for miles in all directions. Its open, flat floor teamed with Elk, Bear, Wolves, dozens of species of fish, and was in the middle of a major migratory bird route. Seeing it then, I was appalled by the acres of almond orchards, condominiums, tract-homes, concrete neighborhoods, and strip malls. At that time in my life, due to the social constructions of nature I was force-fed and the falsities I had built within my own mind, I was disgusted by all humans – myself included. I was guilty of the “collective we” mindset. I blamed the entire human species for this destruction. I believed we were a parasite on the earth, all of us capable of nothing but greed and environmental destruction. I was convinced we as a species were inherently, well, toxic. I would cry sometimes as I drove by, other times I’d envision this landscape prior to human impact; fertile soils, water, life pulsating all around. Often, I would become so overwhelmed with anger that I had to disconnect, numb out. I honestly had no hope in the future for any of us human beings, I envisioned the end of nature. At times I relished how pitiful humans were and how much damaged we had cause one another and our environment because I felt like we deserved to be smitten. Like the Smashing Pumpkins song, "The Beginning is the End is the Beginning", my mind was shrouded in darkness, despair, and negativity. I thought we were "The Sinner Breed", as the lyrics said. Yet, somewhere deep inside, I knew the entirety of the reality I accepted was part of a greater cycle where things do not simply end or begin, nay, but are constantly in flux.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59g5R8rwqpY - Smashing Pumpkins, "The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning"

 

               Thankfully, I don’t feel that way anymore. Due to the many revelations I’ve had while attending Humboldt State University as an Environmental Studies student, I’ve learned how misguided my view of nature was and how conditioned my perspective of humans was because of the dominant narrative told by mainstream environmental groups. Now, to answer the question posed above.

Coming of age. What does this mean to me? I see it many ways. I think it in its simplest interpretation, it means growing up. Transitioning from a child to an adult. That is the more literal interpretation of this term, but I believe it can also be indicative of any kind of reformation or growth that results in gaining maturity, knowledge, or a more refined perspective. I can say without a doubt that at the age of 26, within the last three years I have grown and matured in ways I never thought possible, at least for myself. So, to answer the first part of the question, yes. I am currently “Coming of Age”, and in more ways than just one.

 

 The end of nature. What does this mean to me? Does it mean that all the natural things on the earth are coming to an end? That’s not it. I think it is also metaphorical in a sense. Yes, our world is being polluted and altered at a rate that is shocking and is undoubtedly caused by certain groups humans. Yet, it is the idea of nature being separate from humans and in and of itself, pure, that idea, that social construct, is dying. Human impact is so widespread throughout our world that it is quite possible there isn’t a spec of the planet that ISN’T somehow affected by the action of humans. But that doesn’t mean “natural things” are all coming to an end, possibly just entering a new period. This isn’t inherently bad or good, it just is. It depends on the observer.

Its comical in a way to harken back to my old outlook on nature and how I viewed humanities role on this planet. I was excessively cynical, naïve enough to cast outrageous, sweeping claims against all human-kind. I was guilty of falling for the romanticized idea of nature, a nature in which humans DID NOT belong. I laugh now because I was so young then,  so sure of my stance. Little did I know, I hadn't experienced my "Coming of Age" yet, I was about to. Since then I've learned how resilient the environment is, and how we are part of this worlds -- not separate. I've learned that despite the abounding examples of human destruction we are faced with, we are also surrounded by examples of, though harder to see, resilience and hope, not only as humans but as a part of the resilience of nature. Elizabeth Cooke wrote in her essay titled "Why Haiti?", featured in Coming to Age at the End of Nature, "All I know is that the wind and the water, the fish and the frogs, the people in tents and the people in palaces -- Haiti and I -- are together witnessing this moment in time and shaping the next"(pg.23). That perspective is the one I've come to adopt, one that claims we are all together in this, not separate. A perspective that doesn't divide us from the natural world but courageously affirms our position as part of it. 

This brings me to the book Joyful Militancy. A book that beckons this generation to joyfully fight for a peaceful revolution. To me, there is no better way to ease the digestion of ideas like "The End of Nature" then to chase them down with theories of hope-filled resilience. Its message emphasizes the power of affect, claiming how sadness limits ones ability to affect and be affected. To combat this, the authors advocate for an attitude of activism and resilience founded in joy, which they urge is much different than happiness. In the book the authors quote Gustavo Esteva, believing his definition of joy truly captures the essence of their militancy. He says, "I like joy, like you, because I think joy is an active passion, its not stagnant state of being..."(pg.60-61). It is clear that fighting for change from a place of joy instead of sadness, can allow that fight to be one of passion, understanding, and togetherness.

 

I love this book because it reflects my outlook on the current world situation that you as the reader and I as the writer are experiencing, right now. We are in toxic times, on the precipice of drastic global change. Yet, don’t lose hope, people are joyfully fighting the “End of Nature”, and they encouraging you to do the same.