With the sustainability agenda rising higher and higher in public awareness and governmental policy, a look into deep history gives us clues on how to navigate the present challenges ahead and mainstream sustainability.
The environmental movement and the awareness of humanity’s impact on earth’s ecological systems was first brought to the world’s attention in 1962. Silent Spring’s1 powerful narrative shocked the public and governments globally with the accumulative effects of DDT, a commonly-used pesticide, within ecosystems and human food supply chains. Whilst the research highlighted by Carson resulted in strictly regulated use of the pesticides by national governments worldwide, the effects are ignored in some areas and the continual spraying of crops with DDT is still widely used in countries such as India2.
Building upon the work of Carson3 and the UN environmental conferences in 1972 and 1975, The Brundtland Commission defined sustainable development as “…ensuring that development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” 4. With much relatively achieved politically in the last 10 years with the almost-globally recognised 2015 Paris Agreement requiring human development to not exceed a more than 2 degree Celsius temperature increase and over 1,900 Climate Emergency declarations, there is hope that the theory of why sustainability should be implemented is understood by the global population and those in governance 5 6.
However, the theory of sustainability has yet to be globally mainstreamed, and is only occasionally celebrated as best practice7 . Currently, carbon emissions are still increasing to 420ppm despite a global pandemic, and extreme weather continues to ravage places like western Canada with unprecedented temperatures exceeding 49°C triggering heat deaths and extreme forest fires 8 9. With ice core samples dating back 800,000 years giving evidence that carbon dioxide levels have never exceeded beyond 300ppm, the world has entered a new geological epoch known as the Anthropocene whereby humans have drastically altered nearly every vital earth process needed to function safely 10 11
Whilst sustainability has a strong theoretical background, to achieve the cut in emissions and seismic shifts in how we as a people do anything, a ‘total transformation’ is required 12. To enable this transition to a sustainable and regenerative low carbon economy, a different mindset and approach that includes science and culture, and where uncertainty is accepted, complexity is understood, and typical mindsets are shifted by tackling common detrimental myths and adopting the world views of relationality and reflexivity.
Ancient cultural examples of sustainability
Sustainable economic models already exist, with ancient values such as reciprocal altruism, reflective storytelling, land stewardship and strong family networks demonstrated in many ancient indigenous cultures around the world13. One such Ancient culture is the Nyungar culture of south-western Australia which has successfully retained a sustainable living culture since 8000 BCE, despite the impact of colonization 14. Furthermore, the same research states that the worldview of Nyungar culture is based on relationality and reflexivity which have been demonstrated as critical to their continuation of the ultimate in sustainable culture. The Nyungar cultural worldview consists of the three pillars of belief: the boodjar: the land as the mother and provider; moort: family and relations and katijin, which details knowledge and cosmic stories that are naturally weaved together to create the web of life 15.
Relationality
Described as being the heartbeat of indigenous existence, ‘relationality’ is an indigenous perspective of knowledge systems that encompasses sustainable strategies for survival in challenging times 16. Relationality is a world view that focuses on the connection that humans experience with each other, places and organisations, instilling a sense of place and belonging 17. The Nyungar leaders as interviewed by Stocker and her research team demonstrated that thinking about relationships between humans, moort, and to Country, boodjar as a natural priority in the relational worldview which focuses on meaningful connections between these elements. Relational world views of ancient cultures results in thinking and acting in relation to social context such as our environment, our politics, our culture and our hopes and dreams which is an inherently holistic approach 18. This world view starkly contrasts with the pursuit of material possessions in typical Western cultures, and conventional methods of governance as detailed prior. By adopting an awareness of a relational world view as lived by ancient cultures, a sense of place and belonging can instil a natural stewardship of the environment and community and encourage the holistic transdisciplinary perspectives required to implement sustainability theory.
Reflexivity
Reflexivity, or the reflexive thinking is the katijin or knowledge in Nyungar culture that is shared by storytelling or ‘yarning‘ which has enabled the passing on of knowledge regarding different geological processes and events for thousands of years and generations 19. Katijin also refers to deep reflexive process of questioning oneself and thinking about ones thinking which requires adaptability, collaboration and learning-based approaches to continue their identity despite dispossession from Country. ‘Yarning’ is more than just sharing information, it is also establishing and confirming relationships and building intersubjective meaning – a shared knowing between conscious minds 20. Reflexivity has also been in highlighted as one of the most important mechanisms in creating systems change in the context of engagement with the public through sustainable art 21 Adopting an introspective reflexive world view has a purpose geared toward sharing consciousness, instead of competing ideologies which has not proved useful to engage the global action required for a sustainable future.
As we continue to live in the uncertain world of the Anthropocene, it is clear that humanity has already exceeded planetary boundaries of some essential planetary processes, such as biogeochemical flows and genetic diversity of ecosystems 22. In the face of irreversible present and oncoming challenges, the transition to a sustainable world can no longer be hindered by the myth of hindsight and myth of progress, nor hampered by debates over sustainability definitions and thwarted intentions or decision-paralysis over uncertainty.
The personal embodiment of intrinsic values of worldviews such as reflexivity and relationality, to shift the world to prioritising connections with each other and our local context, and start thinking about our own culturally accepted unsustainable practices…..is the golden key of sustainability.
This has profound impact to shift the sustainability debate from convincing, and justifying to standard practice, or ‘business-as-usual’. As a result, DDT-spraying farmers would question their current use of no-longer-appropriate crop practices and unquestioningly do what is best for their families and friends who consume their produce in the short and long term. It is only through a globally adopted worldview of reflexivity and relationality that sustainable practices would be truly mainstreamed due to the regular questioning of individual unsustainable practices and a natural proclivity to do what is holistically best for those we connect with and the environment we live would be the norm.
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