When we look at doing something about the climate crisis, we must also think about the mentality that brought us the climate crisis. There’d be no climate crisis if there were no patriarchy and misogyny (definitions at the end of this post). There would be no climate crisis if there were no racism.
When you look at a forest, those trees have intrinsic value. They are not there for someone to look at as an undiscovered piece of furniture or flooring. Some people think, “I can get a lot of money for that tree.”
Change Your Mindset
It’s a mindset that views the world as a hierarchy. The mindset that says some people are more deserving of opportunity and wealth than others. With white men at the top of the pyramid hierarchy. Below them is everybody else, and at the bottom is nature.
Pay attention to what people on the front lines are saying and what they’re doing. Communities of color. Poor communities. Indigenous communities. They have the answers, and they have a mantra that is important. That mantra is, “Nothing about us, without us.”
So those of us who are white and privileged have to stand in kinship with those who haven’t had the opportunities that we have. It’s not about charity. We’re not talking about handouts. We have to stand arm in arm in kinship with people who have struggled all their lives because they have the answers.
Decades Of Change Matters
It’s the decades-long change that matters. The kind of change that is needed is systemic. If we’re going to tackle climate, the patriarchy, and racism, that is the systemic change that needs to happen. And that kind of change does not happen fast. It’s not a sprint. It’s not a marathon. It’s a relay race.
You and I need to be in it all the time and pass the baton to young people coming up. And we need to listen to young people who also are passing us the baton. And so don’t give up. You’ve got to stay in it for the long haul.
And if you start getting depressed, up your activism. As Greta Thunberg says, “What we need more than hope is action. Once we start to act, hope is everywhere. So instead of looking for hope, look for action. Then, and only then, hope will come.”
Definition: Patriarchy
Patriarchy is a social system in which men have more power and privilege than women. It is a system of relationships, beliefs, and values that structure gender inequality between men and women. In a patriarchal society, attributes seen as “feminine” or pertaining to women are undervalued, while attributes regarded as “masculine” or pertaining to men are privileged.
The word “patriarchy” means “rule of the father”. It reflects how male power has long been believed to start in the family with men as heads of their households, passing power from fathers to sons. However, across the primate world, this is vanishingly rare.
According to feminist ideology, patriarchy is the main source of violence such as rape, battering, and murder against women in contemporary society. Patriarchal norms are damaging to our health and our societies, increasing death and suffering, and limiting humanity’s creative potential.
Google’s Generative AI (2023)
Definition: Misogyny
Misogyny is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men. Misogyny has been widely practiced for thousands of years.
Misogyny has taken shape in multiple forms such as male privilege, patriarchy, gender discrimination, sexual harassment, belittling of women, violence against women, and sexual objectification.
Misogyny is found in different communities through social media, video games and other spaces.
Google’s Generative AI (2023)