By Dr Laila Abdel Aal Alghalban
“Away, away, from men and towns,
To the wild wood and the downs,
To the silent wilderness,
Where the soul need not repress its music.”
Percy Bysshe Shelley, English writer and poet
The relationship between language and ecology is very sensitive. We know about the world through our senses which mediate between reality and our interpretation of reality.
There is no direct relation between language and ecology. Our knowledge comes from our direct experience, discourse and inferences based on previous sources.
Truth with the capital T is unattainable. Our ideology or worldview is truth or reality seen from our perspective which is determined, French historian Foucault argues, by power of economy, interests and institutions.
Sometimes, interests and money are greatly more influential than beliefs and values. Our ecological worldview is constructed shared experiences and representation of reality.
More importantly, our cognition, of which language is the prime part, is shaped by hegemonous groups and dominant institutions; they impose their stories and ideologies and make them the only reality which everyone should see and embrace.
To do that they use language as their weapon and tools to create the reality they want.
The narratives, discourses and rhetoric which have been prevailing for centuries have led to the current unprecedented threats to life on earth, making it imperative to create a new worldview that would stop the ongoing life-threatening environmental degradation.
Nature as mother
The link between women and nature was deeply rooted in the eco-philosophy of western civilisation: nature was regarded as our nurturing mother.
A shift in this philosophy took place due to the industrial revolution. Nature is seen as a machine, a slave, a beast or an enemy.
Ever since, nature has been abused beyond words, with women always being the first victims. Eventually, a correlation has been established between the exploitation of nature and the vulnerability of women.
In many cultures, to take care of the environment and be kind to women sounds less masculine.
Many others believe that campaigning for environment protection is typically a feminine action, a belief or a stigma that has deterred many from developing eco-friendly attitudes.
Women are usually denied the right to participate in decision making and are subordinate to men universally.
When crises resulting from environmental abuses like wars, famines, drugs, epidemics, ignorance, illiteracy, etc. hit, women sometimes stand defenseless, but surprisingly remain the most resilient ones.
They survive them and help families to survive too. Women’s abilities to endure problems on daily basis and to make ends meet are sometimes miraculous.
So fighting for environment protection is a fight for a better life and sustainable future.
The evolution of human societies and the shift from hunting to farming and manufacturing have made a substantial change in our view of nature from a mother to a foe that must be conquered.
Mother is home as earth is our home
In many cultures, mothers cannot eat until the rest of the family eat. Other mothers are forced to live in sheds and deserted places during their periods.
Even in the developed countries, women are still fighting against the gender pay. Studies show that women are less selfish and wired to give, care and sacrifice. It is no surprise then that mothers are the sole or primary family breadwinner in many parts of the world.
So mother is home. In Egypt, for instance, when a man decides to marry, he says” I want to open a home,” i.e. no woman no home.
A wife is also referred to as “home” as in “I was calling the home” meaning” I was calling my wife.” Accordingly, women’s care for the environment is part of her care for their home.
The impact of plant illiteracy
The environmental impact of plant illiteracy is massively destructive, given the current climate change.
The decreasing interest in and fund for plant research lead to shutting down botany departments in many universities.
Humans share a symbiotic relationship with plants: they give us oxygen, food, and affections, and we give them carbon dioxide.
Plants sustain the life of humans and animals, and are almost in everything around us: what we eat, wear, manufacture, etc.
Plant-derived medicinal products are always imperative to fight against diseases in western medicine.
We are also amazed by the fact that the interestingly and exclusively plant-based indigenous medicines are effectively employed to control deadly diseases in very remote areas around the world.
Last but never least, the ground breaking research on plant gene editing is making a stunning daily headway in crop improvement to feed the increasing population everywhere, with less ethical issues.
Unprecedented existential threats
New generations, especially eco-activists, realise that they are the first to pay for environment degradation. Their daring initiatives to secure a sustainable future for themselves and the coming generations are acquiring supporters every day.
The unprecedented existential threats to life on earth caused by soul-crushing materialism have made it imperative to find a way for stopping the destructive effects of environmental crises, abuses, that cause wars, forced displacement, human trafficking, racism and hate crimes.
They think that we need to revolutionise the ideas, beliefs and habits govern the way we interact with one another and our surroundings.
Small scale policies and measures such as waste management and reduction in energy consumption are no longer enough.
Only when the wounds of earth heal and she becomes sound, the little moms will build strong homes and have sound kids.
Finally, let me finish with what the American Cultural Anthropologist Margaret Mead says about the power of game- changing individuals, real worriers, in making a real impact on people’s thinking towards rooting out systemic abuses of the environment from our minds, hearts, and behaviours: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Dr Laila Abdel Aal Alghalban
Professor of Linguistics, Faculty of Arts, Kafr el-sheikh University
Email: [email protected]
