Camel, rope

Saying that “humans” are responsible for ecological devastation is a continuation of colonial racism, and it is an insult to the peoples who have fought against obliteration to preserve their way of life and their relationship with their territory. It is also an insult to the many people who, despite growing up in a culture totally infused with the values of capitalism, have risked their lives and freedom to defend the land and halt destructive development projects. And it is an insult to the hundreds of millions who are subjected to extreme poverty or absolute precarity by the very same economic order that profits from ecocide, who have to worry about their personal survival and that of their family and community, and do not have the luxury of choosing between different job opportunities and consumer products based on how “ecological” they might be.

Lucas Ruiz de Ribayaz (1626 - 1677). Jácaras. [Luz y norte musical para caminar por las cifras de la guitarra española, y arpa, tañer, y cantar á compás por canto de organo (Madrid, Melchor Alvarez, 1677)]