Can Spirituality accelerate Climate Action?
Looking back at our roots
Our innate need to survive influenced early settlers to begin controlling Nature for food and shelter. Upon recognizing the elements of nature we depended upon, we began to build a more spiritual connection with our surroundings. This helped people respect the things they relied on. The apparent advantages of being part of a so called “civilized society” transformed this spiritual connection over time reducing it to an imposed vortex of symbolism, rituals and structure, called ‘religion’. As the modern day civilization advances we seem to have mostly lost our core spiritual connection with what actually sustained us thus far. The bling of modern day conveniences that enable us to feel productive have blinded us from the damage we are causing ourselves and have created an insatiable hunger for even more. We need to find our way back.
What can we learn from Ancient Civilizations?
Ancient civilizations across the world maintained a deep, symbiotic relationship with nature. This is true of what is left of indigenous cultures even today. The Earth was not just a resource to be exploited—it was believed to be a sacred, living system that sustained life. These cultures honored the land, water, animals, and plants, understanding that their survival depended on the delicate balance between humanity and the environment.
Of course it is a different day and age today. But the following pattern ought to inspire us to re-think through the lens of environmental conservation, be more innovative in our infrastructural advancements to support the population.
All ancient civilizations and Indigenous cultures share a profound respect for nature, viewing it as a vital part of spiritual life.
Their principles were adopted into the most important aspect of their lifetime - agriculture.
Why are Indigenous cultures important?
We must support and empower Indigenous peoples to preserve their knowledge and enable them to thrive. 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity spots overlap with Indigenous territories. As modern industries drive species extinction and ecosystem collapse, the loss of biodiversity is stark: we’re currently witnessing species extinction rates up to 1,000 times the natural rate. What now remains from our ancient history is the unique spiritual connection with Nature that Indigenous cultures maintain to this day – a mindset we can learn from to find our way back.