The act of trying to control nature has become a definitive part of our culture: Here's how we can change that

This morning, whilst I was scrolling through my Instagram feed, I came across a term. It popped up in a discussion about a social justice issue, however I couldn’t help but notice that a few aspects of its definition, when you consider them in terms of modern society’s relationship with the natural world, speak volumes.

This Saturday - Saturday 22nd September - is the day of The People’s Walk for Wildlife: part celebration; part peaceful, political rally, marched in aid of nature. Thousands of individuals, from top scientists to TV personalities and novice birders, will gather together and walk in an act of solidarity for our country, and planet’s, wildlife. The state of our environment and the life it supports is something that most of us care about immensely, but as Chris Packham, the figurehead of the event, has recently said - we've reached the point where caring is no longer enough.

The ecological destruction that's taken place over the last century should act as an immediate call to arms. But the trouble is that the statements which carry the weight of relentless losses and declines have become old hat. Perhaps the size and complexity of the situation we've wound up in ends with many of us feeling totally helpless. The numbers just seem like numbers; that is until we take the time to really think about them and see them for what they truly are: death counts. Our lives - our existence - isn’t simply one big experiment to see how far we can push the earth and its resources until they reach their absolute limits: this is real. Terrifyingly and tragically real.

Now, back to that term: the term that defines our culture and maybe gives us an insight into how much a change in public attitude and approach is needed. It’s a descriptor of the type of worlview that ours and other Western nations hold dear, and the term is Eurocentric:

"The Eurocentric worldview is based on Western values and characteristics such as individualism, competitiveness, dualistic thinking, a belief in control over nature, hierarchical decision-making processes, standard English, a rigid time orientation, Judeo-Christian beliefs, patriarchy, the Protestant work ethic, future orientation, “objective/rational” thought, property ownership, and nuclear family structure."

Control over nature. ‘Control over nature’ makes up just one small part of this definition that I came across on one psychology website, yet when I first read it, it struck a huge chord. Control over nature is, apparently, a definitive part of our culture, and when you think about it, it’s true. It’s commonplace for us to try to control the natural world instead of live alongside it, and it's a fact that reeks of harmful anthropocentrism.

Earlier this week it was announced that the badger cull, an ineffective and expensive method of attempting to eradicate bovine TB, will be rolled out across an additional nine counties including Devon and Gloucestershire. There is no evidence whatsoever to prove that the mass killing of members of one of our much-loved native mammal populations will have any effect on the onset and spread of the disease amongst cattle. Data collected in 2016 revealed that only 5% of the 994 badgers in the study were found to have TB. Here it seems the desire to control nature even trumps economical sense, with the cost of culling a single animal having been estimated at over £400 more expensive than the administration of a harmless vaccine.

Then there’s the issue of our gardens, roadside verges and green spaces. Individuals and authorities are ploughing vast quantities of money, labour and chemicals into patches of land in an effort to control and/or eradicate whatever grows there, producing a dull, sterile area that’s almost completely void of life. Some people are ripping up their lawns and replacing them with paving or artificial grass, purely for aesthetic reasons or to rid themselves of an additional task. Insects, birds and our smaller garden mammals don’t get a look in.

And of course, we’ve all seen the scary statistics about the decline in farmland birds and other wildlife. Controlling the shape and composition of the landscape in order to increase food production has diluted insect and plant biodiversity, and led to reduced food availability and fewer nesting opportunities for birds such as yellowhammers (down 45% in the years between 1970 and 2007) turtle doves (down 89%) and corn buntings (down 90%). I’m sure you can think of many more examples of how our efforts to control nature have had disastrous - and frankly inhumane - effects. 

We need to stop working against nature in an attempt to tame it and turn it into something it’s not, and  instead try to work with it, for the benefit of all involved. Cast an eye back over that definition and you might spot the other part of it I wish to touch on: ‘heirarchical decision making’. This walk gives us the power to challenge those at the top - those who are in charge of making the decisions - and encourage them to do just that. We need to show our government just how much our wildlife really means to us.

We have to take action. Maybe some of you haven’t yet had the opportunity to do so for various reasons, be that lack of money, lack of time, poor health, age, cultural and social barriers; simply a sense of powerlessness in the face of such an enormous, multifaceted problem. But this walk changes things. It’s wonderfully simple and accessible, yet is something that has the potential to drive incredible change: a change in public attitude, political decision-making and, of course, the future of our planet. Every one of us, this weekend, will be given a voice, and the opportunity to make a difference.

Yesterday, Chris Packham released the manifesto that will be handed in to Downing Street at the end of the march. I'd urge you to read it - it’s full of inspiring contributions, simple ideas and solutions to some of the most pressing issues in UK wildlife conservation. You can download your copy and take a look here.

Help inspire a change: join me at The People’s Walk for Wildlife, this Saturday in Hyde Park.