Home ›› 19 May 2023 ›› Opinion
With the growing industrialization the world has become human centric. This is threatening to the eco system, as nature reciprocates what it is given. The Anthropocene epoch (age of humans), although not yet a curse, can soon become one, if the ethical and moral responsibilities towards Mother Nature are neglected. The article is based on a broad enlightening conversation about Environmental- Humanities, with Shibaji Mridha, currently an assistant professor at American International University, Bangladesh (AIUB).
As Walt Whitman in his poem “Song of Myself” asserts that everyone in this universe shares the same atom, which unites everyone into one being, Shibaji Mridha believes the same. As a teacher, he suggests that children must be taught about the earth and its eco-system from an early age. They must be molded in a way that they become both sensible and sensitive towards nature. Films, songs and literary pieces must be introduced to them in their preliminary education. This will allow them to feel for nature to develop an appreciation of the natural world. He highlights the importance of ethical responsibility, which ultimately governs an individual’s actions.
To him, we must realize the consequences of our actions, for instance if throwing a plastic bottle in the river, seems like an innocent act, then it is high time that we changed our mindset as such an act has repercussions. The river where garbage is dumped will in turn cause water pollution leading to a hazardous living condition for the marine life, and also water contamination is another major risk which can lead to water related diseases. “An animal or a plant is not different from us, we share the same materiality” he explains. He also talks about living in respectful co-existence. It is important to respect the eco-system. The unnecessary dumping of garbage into rivers, for example, shows how tremendously disrespectful we are as inhabitants of the earth. This is alarming as nature gives back what it is given. Environment is for everyone, and it must not disrespected. We must instill this conscience in ourselves and in our children that polluting the environment, cutting down trees etc. is not a ‘morally right’ action. We must be aware of what is right and what is wrong, and must not be ignorant about how our actions can be damaging to the environment.
Ecocriticism as a Literary Theory
The theory of Eco criticism has recently become popular in the field of Literature. Students are made to realize the importance of Mother Nature. The pollution, global warming and natural disasters might show the carelessness of the inhabitants of the universe. It also shows how little responsibility of our actions we take, both moral and ethical. “The objective is to change the anthropocentric mindset we have” Mridha highlights. Having worked on environmental ethics and ecosystem has made him reflect upon the history of mankind which has always been dominated by humans. Ironically, he feels that it us who is in need of nature, not nature in need of us. “Hence, instead of thinking in terms of saving the planet, we need to think of saving ourselves since the earth is self-sustaining” he suggests. We must not become people who harm animals and plants. Nature must be equally important as a child is to his father. Hence, Eco criticism as a literary theory is significant in recognizing the human centered world, its effects on non-human nature, and our responsibilities to create a sustainable future.
Green Studies- a controversial term
It is a common tendency to label Eco criticism as green studies. However, ‘green studies’ may only opt to ensure a healthy ‘land’ for all beings. The living creatures on the earth, trees, raw materials etc. cover a major part of the land. The label ‘green studies’ may narrow it down to only land based Eco criticism. However, the focus should not only be limited to the land-based elements. “Should we forget water?” Mridha questions. Environment comprises all, be it the sky, air, water or land. Hence, the term green studies is controversial, as it only focuses on land based elements. Critics might question ‘why not blue studies’? As water covers almost 70 percent of the earth’s surface, how could it not be included in the study of environment? The marine life and components of hydrosphere are in no way less important than the land based components. Hence, the term ‘environmental studies’ is more preferred by critics than ‘green studies’.
The Future of Environmental Studies
As many departments including the Department of English have included environmental studies in the syllabus, the future, according to Shibaji Mridha, is bright. “However, it has a long way to go” he says. We need to put our understanding into actions, and start taking responsibility of our negligence towards nature. We must not separate ourselves from nature as we belong to nature. All the living and non-living organisms are mutually interdependent, making the earth a unified system. When we perceive the world as such, our actions tend to improve, we become more sensitive as human beings. To him, it would not be wise to have a nihilistic approach towards the ongoing natural disaster and consider it to be the doom of the universe. Rather, we can learn from our mistakes, and put the knowledge of environmental studies into action.
Carbon emission, dumping garbage anywhere, blocking rivers, food contamination etc. must be reduced. The textual knowledge about environmental ethics is important, however, it should not be only limited to that. The significance of a healthy environment must be realized, and possible solutions to ensure one must be introduced. The argument here is that the more cautious we are about our actions towards the environment, the better world we leave for the coming generation. This would ensure sustainable development- while we consume the resources of the earth, we do not deprive the future generation of its right.
Hence, nature must be nourished. A healthy natural environment will ensure a healthy society for the future generation, both psychologically and physically. The role of nature in shaping the lives of individuals is immense- it must not be mistreated. The plants and animals play a crucial role in the life of human beings, they should be taken care of, and not pushed towards destruction.
The writer is a freelance contributor
