Environment cult 320

Environmentunderstanding humans & earth

Alicia Rodriguez, Emily Vaughan, Cristian Vigil, Ricardo Angulo

Table of Contents

● Pre-Conditions● Destruction● Impact● Restistence

pre-conditions

Colonization and Physical Space● What is the “environment”?● Hierarchy of values

○ Biotic & Abiotic● Environmentalism

○ Preservation vs. Conservation○ Participatory and Community based Initiatives

● Imperialism○ Land theft○ Gentrification○ Genocide + ethnocide

● Reconceptualizing Relationships○ ‘Resources’ > Marxism

Neocolonialism & Neoliberalism● Neocolonialism and the environment

○ Industrial revolution to now○ Resources and economy○ Conservation not seen as profitable/ yet also based in capitalism

● Neoliberalism as a tool for neocolonialism○ Disaster capitalism ○ Ecotourism

● Exploiting the environment and locals dependent on it○ Motivations of Neoliberalism ○ Terra Nullius

destruction

Privatization● Case Study: Bolivia’s history of

privatized water○ Privatization of scarce resource○ Irresponsible extraction○ “Water Wars”

● Inadequate awareness/action towards sustainability

○ “Economic” usage of glaciers of La paz○ Unregulated, unstable water resource

distributed in Cochabamba● Informal water vendors to combat

government failure○ “Human right to water” argument○ Quality risks argument

Environmental Racism● Debunking the minority move-in hypothesis

● TSDF siting

● Air pollution

● Function of white privilege

● Historical impact of labor, segregation, and

geography

impact

Disaster Capitalism● Climate and environmental changes are constantly seen as singular

issues rather than interconnected patterns within society

○ Market capitalism impedes the creation of adequate policy making around environmental issues

● Inability for governments to react properly to global environmental

threats

● Hurricane Irma and recent tragedies

“Ecotourism”

Ecotourism● According to Fletcher and Neves, Ecotourism’s popular definition emphasizes

tourism based on nature or the environment

● Ecotourism has become outlets for limitless forms of capital accumulation

● Resource extraction

● Ecotourism potential benefit are ineffective

Activity Time

1. Talk to a partner about how you have engaged with ecotourism.

2. How has this reading affected your perception of that experience?

3. Do you think ecotourism is a viable option to resist global warming?

resistance

Cultivation & Community● Turtle Island

○ The Co’oleel Caab Collective ○ CHIRAPAQ, Centre for Indigenous Cultures

of Peru○ Indigenous Environmental Network○ Native Youth Sexual Health Network

● DC○ My Grow Connect○ Creative Community Builders○ DC Garden Gang○ Pretty Brown Girl Pop○ Food Talks DC○ Alsop Growers “Feeding 5,000”○ UDC Ethnic Crops Program

Women from the beekeeping association gather around a trunk hive under a raffia roof. Photo © Eric Tourneret

Photo by Leta Harrison of LARKE PIX

Reflection Time

ResourcesBolivia Privatization video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HClZHu0AnTIIndigenous women & the environment: https://www.siliconrepublic.com/innovation/indigenous-women-climate-change-first-voicehttps://www.wired.com/2014/03/women-work-save-native-bees-mexico/