Ecological Thinking

The movie Avatar, directed by James Cameron, challenges us to think about the master narrative we are living by. It challenges us to question if our anthropocentric nature, what we are doing to our environment for our own economic gain, is truly worth it. It challenges us to think about the environment in a different way, to view it as a living thing, something to be respected and not taken advantage of. It challenges us to think ecologically.

The movie Avatar takes us to the distant planet of Pandora, that’s actually not that far from home. The plot follows a group of colonists from planet Earth that have traveled to this new land in search of unobtainium, which is an extremely valuable mineral. Standing in their way are the native pandorians, the Na’vi tribe. In order to obtain the unobtainium, the colonists are willing to destroy the Na’vis home and anyone that stands in their way. This “take no prisoners” mindset is given to the colonists to represent the greed that is evident in modern day capitalism. Modern day capitalist show no respect towards nature because they don’t view it as anything other than land. However, as Leopold states in Ecocentrism: The Land Ethic, “Land, then, is not merely soil; it is a fountain of energy flowing through a circuit of soils, plants, and animals” (page 145) Leopold goes on to explain how the land we live on is the foundation for all things living, humanity included. He explains how the soil feeds the plants, that then go on to feed the animals, that then go on to feed other animals, which eventually die and feed the soil. It is the circle of life, and it is what maintains our existence. This connection is demonstrated in Avatar through the fibers the Na’vi possess in their hair. These fibers connect the Na’vi to the rest of Pandora. It is a metaphor, depicting how mankind should be connected to nature. It symbolizes an ecocentric mindset in which the Na’vi people view themselves as equal to every other form of life on Pandora.

The Na'vis fiber connection to nature. From http://www.avatar.matthewclose.co.uk/Na'vi.htm

               

This ecocentric mindset directly challenges the master narrative that is found in “civilized” nations. It questions the validity of anthropocentrism, by discrediting humans “divine right” over the rest of the planet. This challenges us to use our ecological conscience when determining our narrative self. If we follow the status quo of capitalism and view nature as only a mean to an economic end, then we are condemning the natural world as we know it. We are choosing to disbelieve the “thinking like a mountain” theory and keep living out this dualism in which mankind is above everything else. We must challenge this capitalistic paradigm and learn to respect nature. We are after all, just another part in the circle of life, just another cycle in Earth’s land pyramid.

To learn how you can help, visit the Sierra Club's website.