In class
these past two weeks we have discussed and enlightened ourselves on the
term/concept of “Ecofeminism.” The association that women have with
nature is an idea that may have possibly stemmed from the stereotypical thought
that women are viewed as nurturers. Women are viewed as being closer with
nature due to things such as hormones, cycles, birthing a child etc. These
things are considered to give women this feeling of “empowerment.” In essence,
nature gives the women power.
I was curious to learn more about this concept
of ecofeminism, upon my light research, I stumbled upon this video led by
environmental researcher and author, Heidi Hutner. The Ted Talk introduced yet
another new concept to me called “Eco-Grief.” Hutner experienced what she
considered to be “Eco-Grief,” when she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of
35. She realized during her treatment, a very sad truth that so many of us are
blind to. She realized that the more pollutants in the air, the more chemicals
that we all unknowingly subject ourselves to everyday, will impact the lives of
our children that have yet to even be born. Hutner was beside herself at how
“stuck” she felt for lack of a better word, and at how damaged our ecosystem
is, that it just became to much to process and digest.
This was so fascinating to me because I think
that myself and the majority of the people I surround myself with, experience
an enormous amount eco-grief. I had just personally never thought that there
would be such a simple easy term to describe it.
Thanks so much for sharing. I found your take on this very interesting. I have been fascinated by our studies of eco-feminism, and your bringing up eco-grief is an interesting new take on the idea of our interaction, as humans, with the environment around us.
ReplyDeleteI, too, think about the toxins that humans are constantly enduring. Although I focus less on the toxins in the air, since I live in a more mild, rural community, I do often times focus on the toxins that exist in what we eat. We constantly eat things that we think are natural and part of the Earth, yet these things are not so natural after all. The chemicals that are pumped onto and into plants and animals create a world around us that causes strife and unnatural consumption. This is the kind of topic that causes me eco-grief.
It makes me wonder what combining these two ideas would look like. Do women experience more eco-grief due to their living in environments with fewer attainable resources. The negative aspects of the environment are sure to affect those with fewer resources and privileges in more than one way. This sparked my interest and I plan on doing more research about the combination of these two topics.
I, too, think about the toxins that humans are constantly enduring. Although I focus less on the toxins in the air, since I live in a more mild, rural community, I do often times focus on the toxins that exist in what we eat. We constantly eat things that we think are natural and part of the Eath, yet these things are not so natural after all. The chemicals that are pumped onto and into plants and animals create a world around us that causes a form of this eco-grief.
I enjoyed your post and how you introduced the term eco-grief. I think that global warming would play a huge role in increasing someones ecological grief. Personally I feel that climate change impacts mental health as we are losing ecosystems, landscapes and species. One question I have is how do we deal with ecological grief? Is it something that we can take on personally or does it have to be a collective work in progress? I agree with Sadie and I experience eco-grief when it comes to the toxins in the food that we eat, this is something that I had not considered as eco-grief but it is. Lastly, I personally feel that eco-grief is overlooked and is likely to affect us more into the future!
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of the term eco-grief before and I am so glad I got to learn about it!I agree with you that many of us experience it and never knew the term for it before, so thank you for sharing this. What initially shocked me is her saying that a child having an x-ray done on their abdomen makes them 2 times more likely to get cancer. Yet doctors are constantly doing this (many I am sure are for good reasons, you can't solve a potential problem without seeing inside). The fact that harmful substances are traveling through the placenta to a baby, what is supposed to be a safe place for a baby is concerning. I am terrified of what will happen to our planet if we do not start to take care of. We already have seen signs of global warming among other things and it is scary. I like how she mentioned the Green Belt Movement like we learned about before. It is movements like these that are the start of protecting our planet and to live a more sustainable future.
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