Brainstorm Week 8 - Noah Krohngold

Even today, humans continue to try and exert their will over nature instead of seeking a peaceful coexistence. Instead of working towards sustainability and respectful use of nature’s materials, we enact laws that give us power over the materials that are highly sought after. Holding power isn’t the same as the “indigenous perspectives of ‘living well’” (Walsh, 60), and for an outlandish concept as granting rights to nature as was done in Ecuador destroys the synergy that has existed between humanity and nature for eons. We’ve come to a point of removing the power inherent to nature in an attempt to wield it for ourselves, and the damage done to our planet speaks volumes about the deplorable acts that humanity has committed in the last few centuries. However, due to the nature of our legal and free-market system, it has become a necessity that we “grant” these rights to nature so as to prevent further abuse in hopes of profit. While it’s said that nature has the right to “maintain and regenerate its vital cycles,” there’s unfortunately no rightful representative for nature meaning that this law could go uncontested in court in hopes of fostering business instead of protection (Revkin, 2008). It’s a shame that it’s come to this point, but with the ideals of Chicanxfuturism and Convivencia we might be able to sustain nature for a little while longer so more protections can be granted.