At first, environmentalism and right-wing extremism seem worlds apart. Most environmentalists such as us GCE students would consider ourselves as democratic, humanists, and progressive thinkers, invested in addressing climate change, global challenges and working for a sustainable future for all. Meanwhile, right-wing movements downplay or outright deny environmental problems. They typically follow a predictable path: Denial (the problem doesn’t exist), Trivialization (the problem isn’t that bad), and, in more extreme cases, Inevitability (the removal of limits on means/ “Entgrenzung der Mittel”). It is this latter path – what could be called ‘unhinged environmentalism’ or eco-fascism—that we must be aware of.

Fortunately, most right-wing political parties (like Germany’s AfD, France’s RN and Poland’s PiS) still deny or trivialize climate change and environmental degradation. While being a hindrance to the sustainability movement, it prevents more radical ideas from infiltrating mainstream debates. We must keep our eyes and ears open for the growing influence of such ideas, particularly online.

It is important to note that the far-right is a paradoxical one. The views presented here reflect extreme cases. Nonetheless, it’s crucial for environmentalists to understand these arguments to counteract their misuse of terminology, ethics, and democratic values.

Right Ecologism

Environmentalism is not a new topic for far-right movements. Nationalist, anti-immigration, and environmental themes have long been used to promote their agendas. One prominent argument is a Neo-Malthusian perspective, which frames sustainability problems because of resource scarcity and too many people using the resource. Rather than reflecting critically on resource overuse or advocating for shared commons practices, this view leads to exclusion and the securitization of current resource ownership and power structures. Many environmental scientists are familiar with Garrett Hardin’s “Tragedy of the Commons,” which highlights how resources can become overused when people fail to coordinate sustainable practices. What many might not know is that Hardin’s work has been co-opted by right-wing arguments. In one of his lesser-known works “Lifeboat Ethics” Hardin argued that wealthier nations cannot afford immigration because, in his analogy, if the lifeboat sinks, everyone is worse off. Such thinking, coming from an ‘environmentalist,’ is a far cry from what we might expect in the context of social responsibility. Similarly calls for “securing our lithium supply” by sending troops to mines in the global south are just the tip of the iceberg of nationalists “sustainability” ideas.

Terrorist attacks in Christchurch (2019) and El Paso (2019) provide horrifying examples of how environmental rhetoric can be weaponized. The manifestos of the attackers heavily referenced environmental issues like soil degradation and overpopulation, suggesting that in their logic environmental problems justify extreme measures against certain populations.

Beyond resource scarcity, right-wing extremists have also abused ecological concepts to reinforce their ideologies. The misuse of Darwinian theories in social settings to justify claims of racial superiority is well known, but can also be found in other ecological terminology. For instance, invasive species are used to create hierarchies between people. The “blood and soil” rhetoric of Nazism, which emphasized the connection between people and the environment they grew up in, has resurfaced in modern far-right discourse. Recently, members of France’s Rassemblement National argued that migrants “don’t fit the climate” of the nation or that their presence would destroy the environment, claiming that “migrants do not value our nature as we do.” This intertwining of nature protection with identity politics reflects a troubling shift in environmental discourse.

Historically, nature protection policies such as “protected areas” have been used as exclusionary tactics in places with marginalized populations, such as Yellowstone National Park or National Parks in India. The concept of “supremacy of Earth over people” was and is used to justify policies that excluded indigenous and local communities from protected lands. Such ideologies, built on the belief that the land should be “preserved” for the “right” people … we all know where we heard that before.

Discourse shifts

As the climate crisis intensifies, we see the discourses shift. With increasingly frequent and severe climate events, and the rise of climate-driven migration (“disaster displacement”), calls for extreme measures will likely gain support. As denialism becomes harder to sustain, we will see more voices advocating for drastic and unhinged solutions in the name of sustainability and survival. This could range from calls to halt migration entirely to demands for control over lithium resources in the Global South to ensure that the Global North maintains its power.

In this context, extreme measures once considered unthinkable could become more acceptable. The rise of such rhetoric is concerning because it moves previously extremist ideas into the mainstream of debate. A paraphrased Hannah Arendt, “Every time we put something in the right corner, the rest moves more to the center.” The normalization of extreme ideas, even in the name of environmentalism, holds a significant threat to democratic values.

So

What Now?

So, what can we do in response? There are no simple solutions. As environmentalists, scientists, and human beings, we must continue to speak out against the abuse of environmental rhetoric. We must work towards sustainability in ways that honor human rights and inclusivity. We should also advocate for a more transformative approach to sustainability science—one that emphasizes not just urgency of the problems but fairness, equity, and justice in the solutions.

Much has been written about the potential dangers of alarmist narratives in climate science. We must speak out against politics that separates us from them. But as we move forward as scientists, activists and citizens, it’s clear that we must find a way to build solution-oriented narratives that prioritize human rights, democratic values, and a vision of sustainability that serves everyone – not just the few.

This blog post is inspired by conversations, research on the “Völkische Szene” from Lüneburg University, and various pieces of literature:

• Außen Grün – innen Braun by S. Moore & A. Roberts (2022)
• Ecofascism Revisited by J. Biehl & P. Staudenmaier (1995)
• Department for Radicalization Prevention and Engagement in Nature Conservation: www.nf-farn.de
• Environmental migration: Migration Data Portal
• Discurse shift (in german): https://www.bpb.de/shop/zeitschriften/apuz/diskurskultur-2023/541849/rechtspopulistische-diskursverschiebungen/

The post Environmentalism and Right Extremism: A Growing Paradox appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

At the top of their voices, the “Summers” are singing the lyrics of the famous song of the German band “Die Ärzte”in the small, tiled kitchen. Some of them have taken off their shirts and dance around, it is warm and stuffy. “Your fault” is probably the perfect song for this party: the students are celebrating the success of the referendum for biodiversity protection in Bavaria. They not longer wanted to be responsible for no changes in the world. For weeks, they have distributed leaflets, stood in the freezing weather of February to speak with pedestrians, dressed in bee costumes, to raise awareness for the referendum on biodiversity. Still wearing their orange safety vests with the imprint “Save the bees” on the back, they dance through the apartment, where the party takes place.

“Don’t believe anyone who tells you, you can’t change a thing.

Those who say that are just scared of changes.”

On Wednesday, 13 February 2019, the referendum ended and it was clear: The topic enters the next round, the needed 1 million signatures, equivalent to 10% of the population,  have been collected in Bavaria. To be more precise, the needed limit has been exceeded. In total, more than 1.7 million people have signed the petition in the city halls across Bavaria, indicating that they want more biodiversity protection and conservation. “The referendum in Bavaria is a clear sign, also for the current negotiations in the EU agricultural policy”, Stefanie Propp says, second chairwoman of the “Summers”. In Bayreuth, she was as well speaker for the referendum on biodiversity. “I was sure, we would reach one million signatures. But more than 18 percent were achieved, that makes me even more happy and shows our dedication is worth it!”

In Bayreuth, the “Summers” have definitely helped the referendum to succeed. But who is behind that name? In 2018, various students of the University of Bayreuth founded the club “Summer in der City” to put a spotlight on biodiversity. “We were nine students and wanted to change something”, Thomas Pickel says. The 27-year-old student of geoecology is one of the founders of Summer in der City. Their name is not a hidden sign for a club of Joe Cocker fans but refers to the word “summen” which means “buzz” in German – very accurate for a club trying to save insects. “Currently, we have 15 members who are very active, meaning they are contributing more than once a week. Furthermore, there are 30 to 40 more people who are also helping often.” So far, the club is completely funded by donations and the membership fees. It costs 10 Euro per year  to become a “Summer”. “It is wonderful to see that so many people want to contribute to nature conservation”, Leonie Gass, member of the Summers, says. “It gives me new power and new confidence that something is going to change!”

Initially, they could share their expertise with others in smaller projects. So, they made sure that the meadows at the campus of University of Bayreuth are only mowed twice a year. This happened in cooperation with Green Campus and Christian Laforsch, professor for animal ecology at the University of Bayreuth. This way, more plants are blooming and thus offering food and habitat for insects.

While the University of Bayreuth mixed seeds into the ploughed soil and created space for insects that way, the students built insect hotels. Soon, they will install them on campus. At “Wilhelminenaue”, the Summers have created grassland and low-nutrient habitats on the area of the initiative “Essbare Stadt Bayreuth” (German for eatable city). Insects will also find new space to live on there. “This was our main project last year”, Stefanie Propp says.

“We wanted to get active. We know the problem, but we don’t just want to complain about it but actually change something”, Thomas Pickel says.

“Because everyone who doesn’t want to change the world, is signing her death sentence!”

The fact that most members of the Summers are students is both, a curse and a saviour at the same time. A saviour, because they have a lot of expertise in that topic due to their study programmes. A curse, because students often move away, causing frequent changes.

Therefore, the Summers wish to engage more people from outside the university. To make this happen, they want to work more in public areas.

“For this year, we have planned two big projects”, Thomas Pickel says. First, there is a nature garden project which provides the Summers the chance to create a natural garden on an area of 10.000 m2 in Wilhelminenaue. A crowdfunding campaign is supposed to help to construct the garden. “In the nature garden, amongst others, there will be a wild rose garden and a meadow orchard. They will as well attract insects and create new habitats for other animals such as hedgehogs and lizards.”

Second, there is the project “Franken Flowers”. It is planned for 2019: The Summers cooperate with regional market gardens to sell domestic indigenous flowers and shrubs. This is important as some insects rely on special plants. “We hope, the natural garden will encourage people to create such a garden at their homes as well.”

Sleepless nights, sore arms and legs from digging in soil, working hard to awaken other people – all that is often the daily life of the Summers. But is seems to be rewarded: The fact that nearly twice as much people as needed signed the referendum, bolsters them. Some movement is happening. It just needs someone to take the first step. Just like the Summers.

„It is not your fault, the world is at it is. It would just be your fault if she stayed like this!”

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First of all, we have a huge advantage today: modern technology. Almost everybody has a smartphone – and we can use it for more than just texting. There is a free app called Codecheck. The use of this app is very simple and can make your life a lot easier if you are trying to track down certain ingredients. You have to scan the bar code or the QR-code on the back of the product you want to check, and within some seconds the result appears on the screen of your smartphone. It gives all information about the name and the price. Scrolling down, you get a list of all the ingredients. The app rates the ingredients as critical, uncritical and gives you further information about why a certain “critical” ingredient is rated like this. For example, it tells you if it is problematic for people with allergies. So, using this advantage of modern technology, you can track down palm oil when you are shopping. Also, it tells you if the product can be combined with a certain diet like vegan, gluten free, vegetarian or else. Codecheck gives you information about seals of approval or environmental standards as well. Lastly, it lists pros and cons of the product which come from the evaluation of other people using the app – you can evaluate the product yourself if you want, too.

Secondly, there are also palm oil free products right in front of our noses when we go to the supermarket. It might not stare you in the face right away – but take one step closer to the shelves and scan carefully. In one of the Rewes in Bayreuth, for instance, there is a whole shelf with products that don’t contain palm oil. Different kinds of spread  such as chocolate spread – you see, there is a solution for all Nutella lovers-, peanut butter or vegetable spread. The shelf is right next to the shelf with bread, close to the section with all the organic and fair-trade products.

Thirdly, we wrote about the problems with daily cosmetics and hygienic products. Liquid soap, for example contains palm oil. But you could switch to products that either use organically produced palm oil or – even better – palm oil that doesn’t come from monocultures but from mixed cultures or palmoil free products. You can find a variety of these alternative soaps at dm drug stores. Also, the German website Utopia gives good overviews of alternative, environmentally sound products: One of their entries is about palm oil free curd soaps, they also provide the link to the web pages/stores that sell them.

We hope that this blog entry will help others to reduce their consumption of vegetable oils, more specifically palm oil. If you know any other alternatives, ways to check ingredients of grocery, cosmetics or something else, feel free to comment on this page. Let’s start to accumulate the knowledge to make this world a better place.

The post Make palm oil small again! appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

Tonight – Monday, 7^th May, there is a pub quiz at 7pm in Glashaus. Go and check your knowledge!

Tomorrow – Tuesday 8^th May

You can take part in four different activities: At 11pm you can join the “Cutting Party”, where veggies, fruits and other groceries that would otherwise be thrown away, are cut and thrown into a pot to prepare a tasty lunch. (Food)Sharing is caring!

From 1.15-16pm, there is a workshop in the botanical garden dealing with the topic of perma culture.

In the kitchen of the Fab Lab you can learn how to prepare different kinds of spreads from 6-8pm –  make your breads more tasty and diverse in the next time!

At 7.30pm, there will be shown the movie “10 billion” in H17. It deals with the problems of a growing population that needs to be fed.

Wednesday – 9^th May

From 12.15 – 1.15pm, you can take part in a guided tour through the botanical garden. You will have the chance to learn about how tree species and forests react to climate change.

Also in the botanical garden, there is a workshop about alternatives to plastic from 3-5pm. Come and learn!

Thursday, 10^th May

From 11am – 2pm, a workshop in Transitionhaus will teach you how to prepare your own cosmetics.

Friday – 11^th May

Starting at 11am, you will have the chance to take part in different workshops such as worm compost, upcycling and building insect hotels. These workshops will end at around 2pm.

The post Climate week on the UBT campus appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

Two seconds

Three seconds

Four seconds

Five seconds

Every minute, forest areas of the size of 50 soccer fields are lost.
Every minute, every day.

Today, March 21st 2018, we celebrate the International Day of Forests. Ever since 2013, this date calls for global awareness on the degrading state of forests worldwide. It takes only one day in our calendars for us to remember how dependent mankind’s survival is on the  lungs of the planet.

With the current rate of deforestation, there will be no forests left within the next 100 years. The loss, degradation and conversion of forests threaten our survival.

“We are on the verge of destroying the perfect balance that nature has created for the wellbeing of human beings. Halting deforestation is not about saving the planet , it’s about ensuring the human well-being. The Earth will survive us and has done so for 4.5 billion years, she is much older and wiser.“
– Christiana Figueres (Former UNFCC Executive Secretary, 2018)

Certainly, once forests or green shelters and sources of life are lost, services and goods provided by nature also disappear. The maintenance of human well-being is then a question of time: how long can we survive with a degrading nature around us? Certain regions of the world already know the devastating answer.

Photos by Carla Madueño

We can stop thinking drama, and start thinking solutions

Today, we must talk about hope and urgency put into action. And there are certain actors and voices out there that I would like to remind you of today: Youth.

On the international day of forests, I want to send a big call to Youth around the globe teaching us every day how to stand on our young feet for a forest-friendly society.

• Youth teaches us that warriors can all have all ages, since what really matters is the strength of the own conviction.
• Youth teaches us that they are real cultural and intergenerational bridges that catalyze people’s fears and challenges.
• Youth teaches us that inclusive dialogue and participation is possible and necessary.
• And among all, youth helps people recover relations with the forests.

Youth is key in healing a broken world, through intergenerational reconciliation.

If you don’t believe youth can be an empowering and strong ally to protect forests, here are some examples:

Planting trees with only 9 years old: Back in 2007, a 9-year old German boy Felix Finkbeiner inspired by a school assignment imagined children planting 1 million trees in every country on Earth. His movement spreaded quickly throughout Germany and the Globe and by 2011 achieved with the help of other children planting a total of 1 million trees around the world.

Two sisters from Bali banned plastic from entire island: The Wijsen sisters from Bali are the living example that empowered and determined youth can solve the plastic pollution challenge. The young sisters, Melati and Isabel, successfully campaigned 4 years to get plastic bags banned from the Bali island. Indonesia is the 2nd largest plastic polluter in the world, after China.

“If we could meet with world leaders and speak to them, we would tell them to listen more to the youth, consider us as more than just inspiration. We have bright innovative ideas of how to deal with some of the greatest issues of our time”
– Wijsen sisters

Leave the smartphone, reconnect with your closest forest

May our decisions enlighten not a brighter future, but a greener present. Science and politics talk about changes to be carried out by 2030, 2050 or next millenia to protect forests. I believe that we simply cannot wait for decades to solve our greatest challenges.

On March 21st 2018, we stand for a change – now and not tomorrow.

Today, take a moment off, go to the closest forest or green space in your city, your village or town. Think about the impacts of your lifestyle, reconnect with nature, discover life beyond human beings and beyond the concrete jungle.

Meditate on the lives on the other side of the smartphone. Celebrate the hidden, still unknown and sheltered life in our green forests (and outside the scope of the International Day of Forest, celebrate also life in our blue oceans).

Stop thinking drama,
Start thinking solutions,
Stand up for forest protection
Empower Youth as forest warriors.

The post A youth pledge on forest’s day appeared first on Global Change Ecology.