What Kind of Environmentalist Are You?

We regret to inform you that, consciously or subconsciously, your brand of 'environmentalism' is best described as Völkisch Paganism or Eco-Fascism. Völkisch Paganists worship idyllic natural purity. They practice clean eating, veganism and organic farming to strengthen their connection to pure natural surroundings. Racial purity is central to their beliefs since they hold that racial heritage of their forebears—folklore and mythology—allows them to be rooted in nature. Eco-fascists deplore urban living and advocate for going back to land. Nazi "blood and soil" ideology was based on Völkisch Paganism. Richard Walther Darré, one of its leading ideologists, glorified "peasant virtues" as racially pure and free from “disparaged city living”. Antisemitism was ingrained into “blood and soil” ideology because it regarded Jews as cosmopolitan and not rooted, akin to weeds in pristine Aryan gardens.

Your environmentalism is mainstream to the core. It does not challenge the status quo. Ultimately, this kind of environmentalism is for and by privileged, well-mannered, mostly upper middle class people, whose demands are limited to cutting on plastic waste and investing into renewables. Mainstream environmentalists identify as first and foremost consumers. They believe that the planet can be saved by altering individual consumption preferences, occasional cleanups and cute polite little marches. Ditch plastic straws, replace them with bamboo ones and everything will fall into place! The mainstream environmentalist appreciates green parks for their recreational and aesthetical value, but is not concerned about environmental justice—access to clean drinking water, air and decent living conditions for disadvantaged groups. In fact, this type of environmentalist tends to blame ‘ignorance and lack of education’ of less fortunate people for environmental degradation.

You are a nature conservationist, which is not synonymous with being an environmentalist. If environmentalism considers improving people’s wellbeing and quality of life by striving for better quality of drinking water, air and dwellings, nature conservationists can be quite misanthropic. They prioritise preservation of wilderness and biodiversity, which, they believe, are endangered by the expansion of the human species as a whole. Nature conservationists can hold Malthusian views: they are convinced that ‘overpopulation’ is the true cause of nature degradation and climate change. If population control could help to sustain biodiversity and restore natural habitats, they would approve it without hesitation. Nature conservationists oppose improving prosperity in the Global South since they fear it would harm wilderness in those regions.

Congratulations! Your environmentalism goes beyond moderate requests for more renewables, cutting on plastic waste and changing consumption habits. You understand that capitalist exploitation of mineral and human resources and unbridled economic growth powered by fossil fuels are the true cause of climate change. You believe that only by radically transforming the economic foundations of the contemporary society can climate change be halted from entering a phase whose impact will be irreversible. You are concerned about environmental justice and treat access to good quality drinking water, air and dwelling as a basic need and fundamental right. You understand that the effect of climate change—extreme weather events—affect disadvantaged groups of population most, which is why climate justice is central to your environmentalism. You also believe that anthropogenic activity must leave enough space for other species to flourish.