Earth Day 2023
millions knives | trigun
When I cosplay, I like to use the characters to breed empathy, unlock understanding, and dive deeper into discovery - about myself, about the world around me and those I share it with.
I believe there is a catalyzing agent to all this wrapped up within fiction that is just waiting to be ignited by our inquiry.
Environmental activism and sustainability is a deeply rooted part of who I am.
So today, on Earth Day, I’d like to connect these pieces and use Millions Knives as a catalyst to opening up discussion about the insidious nature of eco-fascism.
Every Earth Day, you can count on an uproar in eco-fascist rhetoric that YOU might be sharing without even realizing it - and THAT is the most insidious nature of this brand of environmentalism.
It’s often chalked up to “fringe, extremist” groups but this is NOT the case and what makes it most concerning.
Have you ever heard or shared things like:
“the world would be better without humans”
“overpopulation is an environmental problem”
“humans are innately selfish and waste resources”
“cities are the problem”
Have you seen the doctored videos of the dolphins in the Venetian canals or other animals reentering environments during the pandemic?
Do you remember the uptick in “cottage core” in the pandemic? *noting that cottage core aesthetic is not inherently “bad” but it is a common vehicle for eco-fascist ideals to fester within our generation.
This line of thinking insinuates that humans are a virus and that losing large numbers of the population would be “good” for the environment…
When you actually look at these claims and the way they are practiced, it’s easy to see how they’re xenophobia, eugenics, white supremacy, racism, anti-feminism, ableism, and classism masquerading as environmentalism. As such, it can creep into our every day life in so many ways they become normalized.
Environmental JUSTICE acknowledges the very real landscapes of inequity and long held ideas of environmentalism that uphold these systems. It breaks down the “us vs them” mentality as well as the notion that nature is inherently “other” or outside of us.
There is a web zine created by university educators from across the U.S. revolving around identifying and unpacking these arguments as well as sharing a few resources for further reading and community action.
As I also value the power of fiction to catalyze connection and discussion, this web zine uses the story of Avengers: Infinity War as a facilitator of this understanding in a really engaging, digestible way!
