Thriving as an Environmentalist in a Capitalist World
In the last two evenings, I have enjoyed going for my evening walks later in the night so as to enjoy the full moon and all its glory—something so simple yet significantly breathtaking and, most importantly, free. In a world where we have found ways to monetize everything, I am grateful for sunrises, sunsets, full moons, and nature in general because I know for a fact that if they were to be charged, I would probably not afford it.
I know this to be true because I look at how capitalistic the conservation world has become with jargon such as carbon credits, green-hosting, and such-like terms and wonder why can’t we all just plant a tree and save the planet? Why does saving the earth involve using private jets and sleeping in bougie hotels conducting summits to tell us that global warming is real? Human beings have found a way to complicate everything and add more obstacles to solution-oriented paths. We would rather fly to Mars and see whether it can be inhabited instead of simply planting trees.
As a girl who grew up in the village, everything we did back home is now considered cool and trendy. The sisal kiondos that my grandparents carried now cost an arm and a leg while the ornamental cypress tree branches that we would chew on to clean out teeth have now inspired bamboo bristles in toothbrushes which again, are too damn expensive. The fact that we now price organic and eco-friendly material dearly further belabors my point that if we could charge for God’s artistry, I could never afford it.
I will not claim to be a scientific writer focusing on the environment, but I do know that there’s a lot of money being moved around in the name of going green and a lot of funny business there as well. In practical steps, I would say, plant a tree and reduce single-use plastics. However, so long as we all aspire to drive luxury cars with high horse-power, fly in a private jet, and own the latest and trendiest household items, I might as well say, in a capitalist world, acquire as much money and wealth that may keep you slightly more comfortable than the rest of the world when the heatwaves and floods come by.
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