Climate emergency: Treat Earth as an ancestor, not a commodity

Abstract

Does the Earth belong to animals or plants, land or sea? Arrogantly, humanity has presumed the Earth to be its own. A particular world view has bent the Earth toourwhims, imposingan imagined superiority over environments andother species—andother, less privileged, humans. That world view, driven by the extractive excesses of capitalism and colonialism, continues to harm people and the planet. It treats species, natural resources, and traditional andpoorer communities as commodities to be exploited and profited from.