In its essence it is about becoming more in tune with nature in order to maintain a sustainable environment. Ecological feminism offers a way of thought that encourages social and environmental issues to be covered in a collective form, for nature is maintained through cooperation and mutual care. It’s primary aim is to eliminate all forms of domination while recognizing and embracing the interdependence and connections humans have with the earth.

In modern societies, it is important to consider the ways in which we connect with nature as industrial practices move us away from the earth. A good place to start if this term is new to you, is to think about why you care about certain causes and reassess how you can contribute, do not forget that when you fight for rights, your actions will ripple to the future generations. Practicing eco-friendly habits will help you recognize the healthier planet you are contributing towards.

1. Self Care is your super power: prioritize self-love and compassion. Mindfulness, loved ones, weekend-getaways can help you cope with your eco-anxiety, eco-grief or any emotional distress resulting from awareness of our escalating climate crisis. The more self-love you have for yourself, the more you can give back.
2. Your voice is needed: widen your scope of activism, if you marched for women’s right this past month, don’t lose your fire, march for science or the LGBTQ community in the upcoming months, be aware of events taking place in the Black Lives Matter or indigenous rights movements. Inform yourself about how your government is treating certain issues what you can do to help - activist movements need not exist in isolation!
3. Connect with nature: Climate change is built on this idea that separates humans from everything that revolves us. Awaken, you are the Earth. Change your diet by extending your circle of compassion towards farmed animals. “The idea that exploiting some animals for their milk, meat, and eggs is acceptable, while other animals are meant to be pets or to live in the wild, is the same sort of logic that sexism, misogyny, classism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, xenophobia, islamophobia, racism, ableism, and every other form of discrimination are based on. “Dominance functions best in a culture of disconnections and fragmentations,” as Carol Adams put it in The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Vegetarian Feminist Critical Theory. “Feminism recognizes connections.” Factory farming is not just harming animals; it is destroying the planet, exploiting the poor and communities of color, creating a public health crisis through the negative effects of animal-based foods, and quite literally feeding a worldwide culture of toxic masculinity.”
4. Reshaping old thought patterns by investing in quality rather than quantity. Reduce / Reuse / Recycle / Refuse / Rot. Purchase locally and support emprendureships that use their responsibility to help the overall well-being of our planet in one way or another.
5. Talk about it within your community: discuss, discuss, discuss, you never know who you may inspire!
6. Educate yourself on those already doing the job: inspire and empower yourself on learning about feminist climate activists! As much as we love and admire young Greta Thunberg, she is not alone, Indigenous people have been fighting for nature for centuries now, this “white saviour” narrative invalidates the impact of locals working in their communities, and perpetuates the stereotype of “the native with no agency” who cannot help themselves. We recommend looking into: Ridhima Pandey, Kaluki Paul Mutuku, Aditya Mukariji, Nina Gualinga, Autumn Peltier and Leah Namugerwha amongst hundreds and possibly thousands others.

So, keep fighting for your rights, and those who need support, activist movements need not exist in isolation.

Yours sincerely,

Mago Hart

At Grey Street Barcelona

www.magohart.com / @magohart

www.greystreetbarcelona.com / @greystreetbarcelona / @sifu_eco_corner

Photography: Akyute / Sintiente / www.akyute.com / @akyute_

Bibliography

To Uphold My Feminist Values, I Went Vegan, Elizabeth Enochs 2018, available online at

https://theestablishment.co/to-uphold-my-feminist-values-i-went-vegan/index.html

The Ethics and Aesthetics of Eco-caring: Contemporary Debates on Ecofeminism(s), Margarita Estévez-Saá & María Jesús Lorenzo-Modia, 2018, available online at

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00497878.2018.1425509

Dear We For She: A Feminist’s Guide to navigating Earth’s Destruction, Aisha Chabane, available online at

https://medium.com/@chabaneaisha/dear-we-for-she-a-feminists-guide-to-navigating-earth-s-destruction-e3c96dc169b

Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples, available online at https://www.un.org/en/events/indigenousday/pdf/Backgrounder_ClimateChange_FINAL.pdf

It’s not just Greta Thunberg: why are we ignoring the developing world’s inspiring activists? Chika Unigwe, 2019 Available online at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/05/greta-thunberg-developing-world-activists