An Environmentalist Re-Patterning of Political Language and Practice: From Freedom and Justice to Responsibility for Nature 1

Abstract

This essay: (a) criticizes the current political strategy of most environmentalists, radical and moderate; (b) proposes the intellectual terms of a political alliance that could overcome the traditional political separation between conservative and progressive when dealing with the environmental question; (c) reports on a case; (d) suggests how to shift from a non-political situation into political and institutional action. My goal is to create a political-cultural background which brings environmentalists together with people inspired by new economy, cultural creatives, wikinomics, organic farming, cultural and immaterial consumption models, etc. The alliance will be grounded on a new covenant between humans and nature, and on a non-materialist interpretation of politics. Therefore, I call for new research that helps to radically change the political and the production system, not because the system is unjust in the usually- considered terms, but because it endangers nature and society. By changing the order of priority I do not deny the importance of social justice and individual freedom in everyday life. Rather, I think that meaningful political reforms, and consistent political platforms, will be possible only if we put the relation between humans and nature first in the political debate.