The Crisis of Ecology and the Crisis of Meaning

The world is beset by a dual crisis. One is commonly known and well understood. The delicate balance of Earth’s natural ecosystem has been severely disrupted by human activity, and the capacity of this system to sustain itself is under threat. The crisis of ecology, or the environmental crisis, includes within it many sub-crises: deforestation, water pollution, habitat loss, mass extinction, air pollution, loss of biodiversity, overconsumption, depletion of natural resources, and, of course, climate change, to name just a few. The other crisis may seem less familiar. It’s much more subtle but just as pervasive, its effects less visible but its harms just as real. Over the last few centuries, it has become increasingly difficult for people to find meaning in both their individual lives and the collective existence of humanity as a whole. Sources of collective meaning provided by religion and culture once suffused life with structure and significance, but developments in our understanding of the world and humanity’s place in it have gradually eroded these sources of meaning, rendering them no longer viable. <a href="https://medium.com/@ourlifeinnature/the-crisis-of-ecology-and-the-crisis-of-meaning-90e21ca2cff2">Visit Now</a>