Exploring how different concepts such as metabolic rift, ecological debt and ecological modernisation can provide a new framework for understanding environmental issues.
The Extension of the Consumer-Producer Link
Although deforestation is frequently heard in the news, the practice is not commonly seen first-hand, arguably creating a sense of detachment wrought through globalisation. This may be consequential to Marx’s idea of long-distance trade preventing direct environmental experience and creating “an ‘irreparable rift’ in the ‘metabolic interaction’” between humans and nature (Foster 2010). As a society, we may be aware that deforestation is prohibiting the natural absorption of CO2 and GHGs, as well as reducing habitats and biodiversity. However, we are blinded by the noisy sphere of the marketplace (Foster 1999) neglecting the relationship between goods and their production. Prior to this understanding, one may be ignorant to the prospect of consuming products such as shampoo containing palm oil, and the harmful deforestation required for palm tree monoculture. Although we may shift towards pro-environmental behaviour, arguably societal change is still subject to the tragedy of the commons. This economic theory describes how individuals use natural resources to their own advantage without a consideration of the good of the whole group or society. This detachment is something we can rectify with the development of a critical socio-environmental consciousness to steer us away from our cognitive dissonance - where our thoughts and feelings are inconsistent with our behaviour.
Figure 1: A monoculture where diverse forest has been cut down to grow palm trees for palm oil.
Understanding Ecological Debt
Ecological debt is accumulated by the global north towards the global south, consequential to the exportation of their finite resources at the expense of environmental exploitation (Barcena and Lago 2010). This is inherent with deforestation as it often occurs in foreign, less developed societies, providing land for the monoculture of common goods such as coffee or avocados. We exploit these forests and utilise them for industrial processes to satisfy the north’s consumers (Sachs 2010). Furthermore, the Enlightenment in its contribution to the notion of progressing to modernity and a control over “nature through science” (Norgaard 1994), demonstrates how a restructuring of indigenous societies was justified. This inevitably leading to issues such as deforestation to keep up with markets. To refrain from further increasing debt and simultaneously losing our forests and their diversity, the global north must reduce their consumption. This concept allows us to realise how significant shifting to purchasing local and sustainable products may be. By developing this new perspective on environmental injustice, one can acknowledge the economic costs of long-term environmental damage and the cruciality of restoring the inequality with the south.
Figure 2 A protest in attempt to regain equality between the global north and the global south
How Ecological Modernisation May Be a Move Towards Sustainability
For deforestation, we may realise ecological modernisation theory (EMT) which stresses the crucial nature of the market for ecological reform (Mol 1997). For instance, we might recognise this with green business or eco-forestry. However, there is conflict to this theory, with the political economy perspective arguing reform-oriented policy will not solve environmental degradation as economic growth is its driver, rendering capitalism inherently eco-illogical (York et al. 2003). This has been supported with increases in GDP per capita consistently leading to increased environmental impacts (York et al. 2003). Evidence suggests that institutional, behavioural, and cultural changes alone are not adequate and political-economic changes are additionally required (York et al 2010). Thus, we need to restructure society away from economic expansion and towards metabolic consistency. The search engine Ecosia resonates with EMT as the company plants trees with its profits. However, in other areas of society, completely avoiding products that involve deforestation, such as timber for manufacturing, is difficult. We must avoid spreading knowledge that EMT alone can prevent deforestation and embrace that capitalism and the environment are in conflict.
Figure 3 Graph supporting EMT proven wrong as economic growth leads to further environmental degradation.
Understanding these different concepts can shift our understanding of environmental issues. The concept of a metabolic rift has made me realise how we may mindlessly conform to the continuation of these issues. The idea of accumulating ecological debt makes it clear that ecological damage must be transposed to an economic cost to prevent further damage. Furthermore, this theory highlights inequalities between the north and the south in terms of ecological damage and hence, how we must resolve this. Finally, despite ‘green’ social movements, EMT has not been empirically proven suggesting that for a sustainable future, we must steer away from economic growth.
Bibliography
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