98 (M)other Nature

The main concept in Morton’s critique of ecology is the idea that somehow, humans are separate from nature. In our minds, Nature is this sort of “other” being, a concept that is far away and not something that we are all a part of no matter where we are. The best example of this that I can think of is the mindset of going off to be “one with nature” by going camping for a weekend in the White Mountain national forest. This is dangerous because it provides the possibility to NOT be with nature at some point.

While this is a longer comic, it presents the mindset that many people have when regarding nature and the environment. Mother Nature is presented as a being that is outside of humanity, and to her, humanity is nothing. It “won’t be missed”. This goes against Morton’s stance where everything is connected together, and humanity is a part of nature, no matter what.

An idea I find fascinating is the term “dark ecology” because it combines many different theories into one. Uncanny, ideology and ecology are all a part of “dark ecology”. The term is defined as being the uncanny realization that humanity is part of the destruction of nature, and ourselves, rather than being a neutral bystander to an external situation. We are instead intimately implicated in it. In the comic above, this shows dark ecology where the man is saying that he is part of the problem, but the issue is that the scope of the problem is not recognized. Humanity is in danger just as much as nature is as well.