By almost any measure, our planet is in peril. With humanity wrenching trees from the earth, pumping CO2 into the sky, leaching toxins into the water and soil, and obliterating a thousand species a day, it seems impossible to choose just one critical issue of sustainability. Yet all of these seemingly disparate problems have a single, simple root: apathy. With the awesome powers of technology and human ingenuity, we certainly have the capacity to overcome our misdeeds and save the Earth; however, we must care enough about the planet—not just the cuddly animals, but the slime molds and the cedars and the living soil itself—to act, a daunting feat in an age where even compassion for our fellow humans is scarce. The potent combination of doomsday prophecies on the evening news and pop culture’s glamorization of irresponsibility and apathy anesthetizes our hope and ability to empathize, driving us ever-farther into our spiral of destruction.
How, then, can this apathy be overcome? Comprehensive, large-scale environmental education is one part of the solution, for even in this age of enlightenment, too many people remain ignorant of both the environmental problems we face and the lifestyle choices that can help solve them. But for the pure indifference that remains even in the educated, the only remedy is its opposite—emotion. Direct experiences in the natural world, which precious few people today have, connect us to the wilderness within ourselves, and thus also to the wilderness without. Creating opportunities for people to explore and enjoy nature will help us value it, and in turn drive us to save it. Therefore, as environmental citizens, we should aim to foster these connections between people and nature, fighting apathy with empathy to create a more sustainable Earth.
–Charlotte Kuliak