What modes of activism does the Anthropocene unleash?
ABSTRACT
“Activism takes various forms: from Guendalina’s digital activism
to Gail’s passionate protests, Stephen’s data-driven focus,
and Patricia’s philosophical reflection. Each approach offers unique perspectives in
the fight for social and environmental change.”
CHARACTERS
??????? ?? ?[Philosopher] – Patricia??????????????[Influencer] – Guendalina???????????[Scientist] – Dr.Stephen Numb
???????????[Local] – José Da Silva???????????? ??[Activist] – Gail van Laut??????????????[Filmmaker] – Michael
ACT 01
(We found our characters in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. They are three weeks into filming a documentary, sponsored by Bedflix, about the effects of deforestation in the area.)
(Guendalina starts an Instagram live)
Guendalina: Hey beautiful people, it’s Guendalina. We’re here in the Amazon, one of the most critical regions for understanding climate change. It’s hot, buggy, and, well, not exactly Instagram-perfect, but that’s what makes it real, right? we’re here for a cause, make sure to like, and share our journey!
Image of the Amazon rainforest,where nature appears wild, with a multitude of trees, tropical plants, branches filling the picture, and a strong suggestion of the humidity of the atmosphere.
Michael: “The future depends on what you do today”(1), right?
Stephen: Well, yes… but to be more precise, since we live in a data-driven world the future depends on collecting the right data, which “is a powerful tool for asking better questions”(2), even on Instagram.
Gail: Can we please move on already? “Words of hope and encouragement are ineffective and irrelevant; it is action, resistance, and solidarity that work(3).”
Guendalina: We are documenting to share your message online to raise awareness! It’s not just about likes and followers, of course, even though, you know, we can make a bigger impact if this video goes viral!
Gail: “It is not the opinion, or even attention, of the public that matters, it is whether or not you are disrupting structures of power”(4)
Stephen: For Newton’s sake! The only important thing we need to share is facts, not ideological statements.”Data is data. It doesn’t care what you think, believe, or how you feel”(5).
Guendalina: Yeah I like Newton, but “everything we love is what we must protect”(6). Nature has feelings too!
Gail: Anthropomorphising nature means patronizing it “As humans, our intervention should not disappear, but agency must be distributed”.(7)
Woman walking in a rainforest.
Patricia: Exactly, it is not about what we as humans love. We should forsake our human privilege. “The death of the anthropocene opens up thousands of voices, trajectories, relations and necessary activisms”(8)
Guendalina: OMG, people in the comments are saying that you’re crazy, can you explain yourself better Patricia?
(Guendalina turns around and points the phone camera at Patricia)
Patricia: “I have sought to no longer argue like a human, with other humans”(9). Activism isn’t just about protesting or agreeing with your followers; it’s about challenging the very narratives that lead to destruction in the first place.
(Guendalina talking back to the camera)
Guendalina: Wow, that’s very profound! I feel so blessed to be here with such an intelligent group of people in the middle of the forest, don’t you, followers?
Michael: People, remember why we are here!
(Michael starts recording)
A wildlife filmmaker capturing crested black macaques in Sulawesi
Michael What is activism? It’s our “dedicated effort to advocate for change, through actions that raise awareness, mobilize support, and influence policies and behaviors.”(10)
Guendalina Well said dad! Mother nature is fab! #savetheforest
Michael Ok, Gail, let’s film you under this beautiful tree.
(Gail is interrupted by a loud mechanical noise. Everybody starts walking towards it. Guendalina runs there first interacting with her followers.)
Gail It’s a beautiful tree for sure, but mostly it’s vital! We have to actively protect it. We must continue our disruptive tactics, and remember the forests we’re fighting for. We must do it for us and for the local people whose lands have been destroyed for our…
Guendalina Wow, this is seriously heartbreaking, guys. Look, they’re chopping down these cute trees to make room for cattle, and it’s just sooo wrong #govegan I mean, I care so much about the environment, you know? Please share!”#prayforamazonas”(11)
(A guy who was cutting a tree down with a chainsaw stops and starts screaming at Guendalina)
Josè da Silva WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE AND WHY ARE YOU FILMING ME?
A Kichwa villager cutting down a tree to clear an area to sow corn to feed his animals, near the Napo River. Orellana, Ecuador.
ACT 02
(The characters stumble upon a desolate clearing within the Amazon Rainforest. Once a thriving ecosystem, it now stands as a stark reminder of environmental destruction. Tall tree stumps, charred and lifeless, jut out of the scorched earth. Broken branches and discarded logs lay scattered across the ground. The noise of chainsaws ravaging this land leaves an eerie feeling.)
Overflight records areas of illegal mining within the Yanomani Indigenous Land in Roraima
Gail What are you people doing to the forest? Do you care at all for the needs and vulnerabilities of this living entity?
Josè da Silva What are YOU people doing in MY land? I do care, and I also care for my work and my family!
Guendalina The Internet is watching you! (Talking to her camera) Guys share, we need to make him stop immediately!#savetheforest #prayforamazonas #fightdeforestation
Josè da Silva Where are you even from? “No country in the world has the moral right to talk about the Amazon. You destroyed your own ecosystems.”(12)
Stephen Stop cutting down those trees! Do you even know that the “Amazon produces about 6% of the world’s oxygen”? (13) “48% of the Amazon will be lost due to agribusiness by 2050”(14),
Touching a piece of nature (tree), as an act of feeling closer to nature.
Michael (Talking to himself) JACKPOT! This documentary will be my masterpiece!
Stephen “The annual rate of deforestation in the Amazon estimated in 2022 was 11,568 km²”(15), and it’ll get worse if this situation continues. Does this not move you?
Josè da Silva You people should understand once and for all that “the Amazon is ours, not yours.”(16) We’re doing this legally, our president approves. Your “activism” won’t help here.
Patricia The Earth doesn’t belong to anybody; we belong to the Earth. Our “activism” is a responsibility.
Gail (The protester shouting over Patricia) Stop it with your intellectual elitism. We need action. The legal and business structures in this country are more corrupt than the government! “We must overcome the powerful structures of opposition” (17) for real change. What business is leading this deforestation?
Josè da Silva The business of providing for my family. “You want the local people to carry on like prehistoric men with no access to technology, science, information, and the wonders of modernity. We live isolated in our areas like cavemen. Local people want to work, they want to produce but they can’t.” (18)
Stephen I don’t care about your small community – you have to look at the bigger picture. Your low GDP is not even remotely comparable to the “$4.5 trillion in lost biodiversity each year!” (19)
Gail You and your cold, harsh “stat-activism”! Stop providing us with just data! “Bombarding people with information isn’t enough – it’s far too easy to get desensitized and not everyone has the time or ability to understand the complexities of climate change or economic theory.”(20)
Josè da Silva When I arrived here there was just forest. Now, look at what we’ve been able to create! New jobs, well-being, hope for the future.“Are we going to preserve everything because the gringos destroyed what they had?” (21)
People from the Mura tribe are pictured in a file photo at a deforested area in unmarked Indigenous lands inside the Amazon rainforest near Humaita, Brazil. Bishops working in the Amazon are opposing a bill they say threatens Brazil’s rainforest by allowing illegally deforested federal lands to become private holdings. (CNS/Reuters/Ueslei Marcelino)
Guendalina Shame on you! I’m not just gonna watch. Everyone, we need your help! I’ve just shared a link to an online petition in the description. Let’s show the power of our community. Sign that petition, share it with your friends, and let’s be the change we want to see!
Patricia writes in her journal, murmuring.
Journalist collecting their thoughts on their journal, while on site.
Patricia “The smug position of the human as continuing its perceived location at the zenith of the tree of life.”(22)
Michael Guys, we really need to push forward with this production now. The network keeps demanding a more prominent intervention from you, Gail.
Guendalina Yeah, do your thing! I am live, 2.568 people are rooting for you.
Gail pushes away a worker that’s about to cut a tree down with a chainsaw, and stands in front of the tree, shouting. The site manager handcuffs Gail. Guendalina takes a picture of the scene to put it as a cover for her petition.
Gail(shouting as she is being taken away)“UNDER A GOVERNMENT WHICH IMPRISONS ANY UNJUSTLY, THE TRUE PLACE FOR A JUST WOMAN IS ALSO A PRISON!”(23)
ACT 03
The documentary was the most profitable documentary in modern history. Guendalina’s petition was signed by more than half a million people online. However, 10,000 tons of CO2 were emitted by Bedflix’s operations during its production.
Patricia is at home watching the news, where an anchor reports protests erupting against Bedflix.
JO (on screen voice) In a surge of public dissent, protesters led by Dutch activist Gail van Laut, gathered to challenge Bedflix’s latest documentary, accusing it of attempting to ‘greenwash’ its image. Bedflix claims the protests are unsubstantiated. Dr. Stephen Numb, the scientist who was working on the documentary, claims there isn’t enough data yet to…
Patricia turns off the TV with disdain. She grabs her notebook and starts writing.
Lula da Silva supporters demonstrate on election day in Brazil
Patricia “This manifesto may seem to hate humans. It does not.” “The Death of the anthropocene is the opening of the world.” “Activism towards nonhumans and the cessation of bringing new humans are two suggestions, but circumstance will open up radical possibilities that will make the human unthinkable.” “I call for an end to the human both conceptually as exceptionalized and actually as a species.”(24)
Patricia stops for a moment then keeps on writing
Patricia “We humans are simply parts of a thing known as earth. For many, the idea of the cessation of human existence is an absurd claim which prevents any engagement with both its possibility and its validity.” “The death of the human is necessary, in order for the liberation of all life.” “Yes, I am a traitor to my species.” But “It is time to demanifest anthropocentrism. It is time for humans to stop being human.All of them” (25)
She stops again, before writing one last sentence
Patricia All of us
Chromogenic print of a staged photograph. A woman in a nightgown sits in crisis on the edge of her bed with the remains of a rosebush on the sheets beside her.
APPENDIX
Patricia is a 50-year-old philosopher, thinker and writer. She joined the crew to collect information and pictures about the Amazon rainforest, while she writes her new book, “A Manifesto for Intersectional Eco-Nihil-Anthropo-phism”. Her diet consists of coffee and dried seaweed
Guendalina is an influencer who was invited by her father, Michael the Film Maker, to join the documentary filming. She’s 19 years old, and posts twice a day on Instagram. She’s #woke.
Stephen, spelt with Ph(d), is a 60-year-old scientist and biology sciences professor at Harvard University Medical School. His papers on Amazonian Poison Dart Frogs are the most cited in academic circles over the past 10 years.
José da Silva was born in 1983 in Sao Paulo, but since 2000, he has moved around the Brazilian Amazon, working as a carpenter and furniture maker in logging districts. He’s now the owner of a sawmill.
Gail is the co-founder of the Dutch Climate Activism group, “Activate Earth”. The group focuses on disruptive tactics, and propose a post-growth economy.
Michael is a 45-year old documentary cameraman. He has collaborated with film conglomerate “Bedflix” on the famous documentaries “Oil-Ception” and “Sea-llusion”. He carries a keyring of the Boston Red Sox with the keys to his Tesla Cybertruck.
REFERENCES
1.-Gandhi, “An autobiography: the story of my experiments with truth”, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2011
2.-Emmott, Stephen. The Human Plague Lecture, Darwin College Lecture Series, 23 Feb. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUTGQvDQ8xE. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.
3.-Gayle, Damien. “Insulate Britain and Just Stop Oil Vow to Continue Disruptive Action.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 2 Jan. 2023, www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/02/insulate-britain-and-just-stop-oil-vow-to-continue-disruptive-action.
4.-Chandler, Paul. “Climate Activists Must Target Power Structures, Not the Public | Letters.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 15 Mar. 2023, www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/15/climate-activists-must-target-power-structures-not-the-public.
5.-Shapiro Ben, “Facts Don’t Care about Your Feelings”, Editors publishing, 2019, edited
6.-Xiuhtezcatl, “Broken.”, 19 Oct. 2023.
7.-María, Puig de la Bellacasa. Matters of Care: Speculative Ethics in More than Human Worlds. University of Minnesota Press, 2017, page 31
8.-Maccormack, Patricia. “The Ahuman Manifesto: Activism for the end of the anthropocene”.
Bloomsbury Academy, 2020, page 1
9.-Maccormack, Patricia. “The Ahuman Manifesto: Activism for the end of the anthropocene”.
Bloomsbury Academy, 2020, page IX
10.-Activism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activism
(Paraphrasing)
11.-BBC News World, “#PrayForAmazonas: the fires in the Amazon became the first global trend on Twitter”
August 22, 2019
12.-Phillips , Dom. “Bolsonaro Declares ‘the Amazon Is Ours’ and Calls Deforestation Data ‘Lies.’” The Guardian, 19 July 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/19/jair-bolsonaro-brazil-amazon-rainforest-deforestation.
13.-Edson Acero, “How much oxygen does the Amazon produce?”, 2023,
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-much-oxygen-does-amazon-produce-edson-acero/
14.-Tanuvi Joe, “Takeout Documentary Exposes The Devastating Impact Of Our Food Choices On The Amazon Rainforest”, Apr 4, 2021
15.-Deforestation in the Amazon remains at high levels, with a rate of 11,568 km2 in 2022
https://www.wwf.org.br/?84261%2FDeforestation-in-the-Amazon-remains-at-high-levels-with-a-rate-of-11568-km2-in-2022#:~:text=The%20annual%20rate%20of%20deforestation,August%202021%20and%20July%202022.
16.-Phillips , Dom. “Bolsonaro Declares ‘the Amazon Is Ours’ and Calls Deforestation Data ‘Lies.’” The Guardian, 19 July 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/19/jair-bolsonaro-brazil-amazon-rainforest-deforestation. (slightly modified)
17.-Chandler, Paul. “Climate Activists Must Target Power Structures, Not the Public | Letters.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 15 Mar. 2023, www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/15/climate-activists-must-target-power-structures-not-the-public.
18.-Phillips , Dom. “Bolsonaro Declares ‘the Amazon Is Ours’ and Calls Deforestation Data ‘Lies.’” The Guardian, 19 July 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/19/jair-bolsonaro-brazil-amazon-rainforest-deforestation. (slightly modified)
19.-Deforestation Facts and Statistics 2022
https://www.longleafconservancy.org/blog/deforestation-facts-and-statistics-2022
20.-Loach, Mikaela. “Deconstructing Capitalism.” It’s Not That Radical: Climate Action to Transform Our World, DK, London, 2023.
21.-Phillips, Dom. “Jair Bolsonaro Launches Assault on Amazon Rainforest Protections.” Air Bolsonaro Launches Assault on Amazon Rainforest Protections, 2 Jan. 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/02/brazil-jair-bolsonaro-amazon-rainforest-protections.
22.-Maccormack, Patricia. “The Ahuman Manifesto: Activism for the end of the anthropocene”.
Bloomsbury Academy, 2020, page 11
23.-Thoreau, Henry David. Walden & Civil Disobedience. Clydesdale, 1849.
24.-Maccormack, Patricia. “The Ahuman Manifesto: Activism for the end of the anthropocene”.
Bloomsbury Academy, 2020, page X – 1 (slightly edited) – 2 – 5
25.-Maccormack, Patricia. “The Ahuman Manifesto: Activism for the end of the anthropocene”.
Bloomsbury Academy, 2020, page 5 – 60 – 59 -65
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gandhi, “An autobiography: the story of my experiments with truth”, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2011
Gayle, Damien. “Insulate Britain and Just Stop Oil Vow to Continue Disruptive Action.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 2 Jan. 2023, www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/02/insulate-britain-and-just-stop-oil-vow-to-continue-disruptive-action.
Chandler, Paul. “Climate Activists Must Target Power Structures, Not the Public | Letters.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 15 Mar. 2023, www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/15/climate-activists-must-target-power-structures-not-the-public.
Shapiro, Ben. “Facts Don’t Care about Your Feelings”, Editors publishing, 2019, edited
Xiuhtezcatl. “Broken.” Genius.Com, 2018, Accessed 19 Oct. 2023, https://genius.com/Xiuhtezcatl-broken-lyrics.
Puig de la Bellacasa, María. “Matters of Care: Speculative Ethics in More than Human Worlds”, University of Minnesota Press, 2017.
Maccormack, Patricia. “The Ahuman Manifesto: Activism for the end of the anthropocene”. Bloomsbury Academy, 2020.
Activism, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activism (Paraphrasing). BBC News World, “#PrayForAmazonas: the fires in the Amazon became the first global trend on Twitter”, August 22, 2019, https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-49430137.
Phillips , Dom. “Bolsonaro Declares ‘the Amazon Is Ours’ and Calls Deforestation Data ‘Lies.’” The Guardian, 19 July 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/19/jair-bolsonaro-brazil-amazon-rainforest-deforestation.
Acero, Edson , “How much oxygen does the Amazon produce?”, 2023, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-much-oxygen-does-amazon-produce-edson-acero/.
Tanuvi, Joe, “Takeout Documentary Exposes The Devastating Impact Of Our Food Choices On The Amazon Rainforest”, Apr 4, 2021.
Deforestation in the Amazon remains at high levels, with a rate of 11,568 km2 in 2022, https://www.wwf.org.br/?84261%2FDeforestation-in-the-Amazon-remains-at-high-levels-with-a-rate-of-11568-km2-in-2022#:~:text=The%20annual%20rate%20of%20deforestation,August%202021%20and%20July%202022.
Deforestation Facts and Statistics 2022
https://www.longleafconservancy.org/blog/deforestation-facts-and-statistics-2022
Loach, Mikaela. “Deconstructing Capitalism.” It’s Not That Radical: Climate Action to Transform Our World, DK, London, 2023. Phillips, Dom. “Jair Bolsonaro Launches Assault on Amazon Rainforest Protections.” Air Bolsonaro Launches Assault on Amazon Rainforest Protections, 2 Jan. 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/02/brazil-jair-bolsonaro-amazon-rainforest-protections.
Thoreau, Henry David. Walden & Civil Disobedience. Clydesdale, 1849.
