Social and epistemic disparities of the precariat.

2020 ◽  
pp. 163-178
Author(s):  
Hester du Plessis
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Disciplinary Boundaries

We are facing two major challenges in present times. The first challenge is the global mass migrations of people due to war, climate change and environmental degradation, who are forced to work in precarious situations, often leading to socio-political disruptions. The second challenge lies in technology that provides a global network for the migration of ideas, liberating knowledge from its geographical and disciplinary boundaries and challenging our perceptions of human exceptionality. To bring together these challenges might seem impossible, but when one looks at the uncertainties emerging around humanity’s future, this is possibly a necessary task. In this chapter I would like to initiate some thinking in that direction.

scholarly journals Grassroots and Global Governance: Can Global–Local Linkages Foster Food System Resilience for Small Northern Canadian Communities?

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2415
Author(s):  
Carla Johnston ◽  
Andrew Spring
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Governance ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Global Networks

Communities in Canada’s Northwest Territories (NWT) are at the forefront of the global climate emergency. Yet, they are not passive victims; local-level programs are being implemented across the region to maintain livelihoods and promote adaptation. At the same time, there is a recent call within global governance literature to pay attention to how global policy is implemented and affecting people on the ground. Thinking about these two processes, we ask the question: (how) can global governance assist northern Indigenous communities in Canada in reaching their goals of adapting their food systems to climate change? To answer this question, we argue for a “community needs” approach when engaging in global governance literature and practice, which puts community priorities and decision-making first. As part of a collaborative research partnership, we highlight the experiences of Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation, located in Kakisa, NWT, Canada. We include their successes of engaging in global network building and the systemic roadblock of lack of formal land tenure. Moreover, we analyze potential opportunities for this community to engage with global governance instruments and continue connecting to global networks that further their goals related to climate change adaptation and food sovereignty.

scholarly journals On storiation and what is washed ashore: The Anthropocene as big kahuna

2021 ◽  
pp. 204382062110174
Author(s):  
Elena Burgos Martinez
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental History ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Critical Perspective

This commentary begins by outlining current debates on the notion of the Anthropocene from a critical perspective. Subsequently, it will discuss how Pugh and Chandler (2021) directly address such a problematic and how their work contributes to pluralising contemporary academic debates on the Anthropocene. Their previous academic engagements are no stranger to questions of epistemic discrimination in the broad fields of geography, geopolitics, island studies, and social research, and, more concretely, mainstreamed anthropological thinking. This commentary will therefore focus on their call for storiation and its relevance for contemporary debates seeking more ethical, localised, fluid, and coherent approaches to environmental degradation, environmental history, island identity, geopolitics of climate change, and indigeneity. From all the shapes storiation can take, this commentary focuses on indigenous storiation as embodiment.

scholarly journals Group Facilitation on Societal Disruption and Collapse: Insights from Deep Adaptation

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6280
Author(s):  
Jem Bendell ◽  
Katie Carr
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
First Person ◽  
Group Facilitation ◽  
Environmental Destruction ◽  
Difficult Conversations ◽  
Radical Uncertainty ◽  
Direct And Indirect Impacts ◽  
Indirect Impacts

This article synthesises the practice and rationale behind ways of facilitating gatherings on topics of societal disruption and collapse, which is argued to be useful for lessening damaging responses. The authors draw on first-person inquiry as facilitators of gatherings, both online and in person, in the post-sustainability field of ‘Deep Adaptation,’ particularly since 2018. This term describes an agenda and framework for people who believe in the probable, inevitable or unfolding collapse of industrial consumer societies, due to the direct and indirect impacts of human-caused climate change and environmental degradation. Some of the principles of Deep Adaptation facilitation are summarised, such as containment, to enable co-responsibility for a safe enough space for difficult conversations. Another key principle is welcoming radical uncertainty in response to the anxieties that people feel from their anticipation of collapse. A third principle is making space for difficult emotions, which are welcomed as a natural and ongoing response to our predicament. A fourth aspect is a curiosity about processes of othering and separation. This paper provides a review of the theories that a reason for environmental destruction is the process of othering people and nature as being less significant or meaningful. One particular modality called Deep Relating is outlined.

Wise Ancestors, Good Ancestors: Why Mindfulness Matters in the Promotion of Planetary Health

Challenges ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Alan C. Logan ◽  
Susan H. Berman ◽  
Richard B. Scott ◽  
Brian M. Berman ◽  
Susan L. Prescott
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Health Inequalities ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Practical Wisdom ◽  
Resource Depletion ◽  
Global Burden ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases ◽  
Planetary Health ◽  
Cultural Aspects

The concept of planetary health blurs the artificial lines between health at scales of person, place, and planet. It emphasizes the interconnected grand challenges of our time, and underscores the need for integration of biological, psychological, social, and cultural aspects of health in the modern environment. Here, in our Viewpoint article, we revisit vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk’s contention that wisdom is central to the concept of planetary health. Our perspective is centered on the idea that practical wisdom is associated with decision-making that leads to flourishing—the vitality and fullest potential of individuals, communities, and life on the planet as a whole. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has illustrated the acute consequences of unwise and mindless leadership; yet, wisdom and mindfulness, or lack thereof, is no less consequential to grotesque biodiversity losses, climate change, environmental degradation, resource depletion, the global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), health inequalities, and social injustices. Since mindfulness is a teachable asset linked to both wisdom and flourishing, we argue that mindfulness deserves much greater attention in the context of planetary health.

scholarly journals Harnessing microbial science to accelerate the United Nations sustainable development goals

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (7A) ◽  
Author(s):  
Omololu Fagunwa ◽  
Afolake Atinuke
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
United Nations ◽  
International Development ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Scientific Discipline ◽  
Decent Work ◽  
Peace And Justice ◽  
New Strategy ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The United Nations

Modernisation has thrown humanity and other forms of life on our planet into ditch of problems. Poverty, climate change, injustice, environmental degradation are few of the shared global problems. The United Nations SDGs are set as blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. The SDGs are well structured to address the global challenges we face including poverty, inequalities, hunger, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The SDGs have been driven mainly by international donors and ‘professional’ international development organisations. The world is left with 10 years to achieve these ambitious goals and targets. Various reviews indicated that little has been achieve on overall, and the SDGs will not be reality if new strategy is not in place to bring inclusion. Microbiology, the scientific discipline of microbes, their effects and practical uses has insightful influence on our day to day living. We present how microbiology and microbiologists could increase the scorecard and accelerate these global goals. Microbiology contribution to peace, justice, gender equality, decent work and economic growth will be also highlighted among others. The pledge of Leave No One Behind will fast track progress and microbiology is better position to make this work.

Environmental Degradation, Tropical Diseases, and Economic Development

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Luke Gallup
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Tropical Diseases ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

It’s complicated. Tropical diseases have unusually intricate life cycles because most of them involve not only a human host and a pathogen, but also a vector host. The diseases are predominantly tropical due to their sensitivity to local ecology, usually due to the vector organism. The differences between the tropical diseases mean that they respond to environmental degradation in various ways that depend on local conditions. Urbanization and water pollution tend to limit malaria, but deforestation and dams can exacerbate malaria and schistosomiasis. Global climate change, the largest environmental change, will likely extend the range of tropical climate conditions to higher elevations and near the limits of the tropics, spreading some diseases, but will make other areas too dry or hot for the vectors. Nonetheless, the geographical range of tropical diseases will be primarily determined by public health efforts more than climate. Early predictions that malaria will spread widely because of climate change were flawed, and control efforts will probably cause it to diminish further. The impact of human disease on economic development is hard to pin down with confidence. It may be substantial, or it may be misattributed to other influences. A mechanism by which tropical disease may have large development consequences is its deleterious effects on the cognitive development of infants, which makes them less productive throughout their lives.

This Sacred Life

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman Wirzba
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Genetic Enhancement ◽  
Social Injustice ◽  
God's Love ◽  
Bear Witness

In a time of climate change, environmental degradation, and social injustice, the question of the value and purpose of human life has become urgent. What are the grounds for hope in a wounded world? This Sacred Life gives a deep philosophical and religious articulation of humanity's identity and vocation by rooting people in a symbiotic, meshwork world that is saturated with sacred gifts. The benefits of artificial intelligence and genetic enhancement notwithstanding, Norman Wirzba shows how an account of humans as interdependent and vulnerable creatures orients people to be a creative, healing presence in a world punctuated by wounds. He argues that the commodification of places and creatures needs to be resisted so that all life can be cherished and celebrated. Humanity's fundamental vocation is to bear witness to God's love for creaturely life, and to commit to the construction of a hospitable and beautiful world.

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