Urban Humans Are (In) Nature
Sharing the lived nature-rich experience of being in the Big Apple.
Whenever someone says, ‘I want to be in nature,’ they usually mean they want to take a car to a national or state park, or a forest or some outdoor space without towering human settlements, and perhaps spend a few hours there. The good news is you don’t quite have to go elsewhere to be a witness/participant in a ‘natural’ setting, because cities are, by nature, ecosystems too.
Lately, I have been reading on the nature/urban divide, and increasingly leaning towards the idea that the binary was created by a false dream of a pristine land separate from one’s own.
Since my move to New York City, I have hung out with over a hundred turtles (or are they terrapins?) at Turtle Pond in Central Park, spotted two eagles in the middle of Washington Square Park and a white owl hooting at me at Audubon Center in Prospect Park, giggled at the play between squirrels and blue jays in Union Park, and matched outfits with raccoons in the city. Not to mention interacting with billions of unseen, ever-present microbes on subways. The egrets, cranes, swans, ducks, have all been added to observations. Pigeons and rats are well-adapted to the urban ecosystem here. Why are all these interactions not seen as nature?
Nature is defined as anything that is not produced by human activity, which means that all our living kin, be they in a human-created setting or in vast spaces, constitute nature. The ivy outside my window is not complacent to the conformities of the artificial nature/urban divide, and neither should we.
Related: Atmos asked if I would wear a living plant, and my response is ‘I already do’. Check out designer Paula Ulargui Escalona’s research project titled •SIAMESE SKINS•TWO NATURES•ONE BODY•, where she promotes plants’ knowledge and knowledge on plants through her ‘collaboration with nature’.
A Note of Welcome
Hi and welcome to the inaugural post of TIERRA! I am Shivani, a budding climate journalist and a subject-matter comprehender. Hereon, I will share resources and thoughts biweekly on climate and ecological matters as they unravel. My vision is to inform you with hope, solutions and a life-giving future, with only an occasional dose of the doom-and-gloom, as we wade through the oily muck into clean waters as a whole.
I am delighted to have you here and hope we build a community through this interaction. Always feel free to share thoughts!
Five Servings of News
European Commission’s president Ursula von der Leyen gave her state of the European Union speech on September 14, with the European Green Deal as the push point. The summer brought several disaster in a climate-changed Europe, from heatwaves to flooding. Success of the multi-faceted Green Deal, thus, has become a priority for the European Union. Watch the speech and read the main takeaways.
Climate justice journalists feel super heard: AOC cited the brilliant investigation by HEATED’s Emily Atkin, and Earther’s Molly Taft on Big Oil’s climate misinformation campaigns.
Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Chouinard, and his family have given away the multi-billion company to support climate efforts and protect undeveloped land. The company’s annual profits, some $100 million, will be forwarded to the Holdfast Collective, a new non-profit, to fight climate change (NYT).
Beavers have been in the news lately. Are we finally acknowledging that these cute architects are also a ‘nature-based solution’ in maintaining wetlands and marshes, while being, did I mention, cute? Read more (and one more).
People in New York are stomping lanternflies left and right, beautiful as they are, in a drive to engage citizens in eradicating the invasive species (The Guardian). Do report if you sight one: New Jersey | New York | PA - Call 1-888-4BADFLY.
Events of Interest
Climate Week NYC has loads of hybrid and virtual events on all things climate! Check out their event calendar. September 19-25.
Resources for the Future’s webinar on ‘The Global Climate Policy Partnership: Decarbonizing Global Manufacturing’ will provide pertinent insights. September 22, 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET / 2 PM GMT. RSVP.
Protocol is hosting a Virtual Recap of UNGA 2022 with a focus on Climate Tech. Climate editor Brian Kahn is moderating the event. September 29, 10 AM PT/ 1 PM ET/ 6 PM GMT. RSVP.
A Statement of Motivation
Claire Fan, a doctoral student of public policy at University of Chicago and my friend, shared: “I do research in environmental economics because climate change and natural resource scarcity promise to alter the landscapes and ways of life that shape communities and identities around the world. This will be especially true for those who are already poor or disadvantaged, exacerbating inequality along numerous dimensions.”
Thank you, Claire, for providing the first letter of inspiration!
Sending wishes of awe-inspiring moments this week!