Is Rising Nationalistic Sentiment Harmful to the Larger Environmental Movement?
This is a Guest Post by Josy O’Donnel
There are many issues in the United States and around the world that divide public opinion. One high-profile issue is the environment and climate change, with people divided on whether climate change is happening and evidenced by science, or whether it’s a political hoax. Adding fuel to the fire is the rising sense of nationalism and nationalistic sentiment, which argues that environmental issues can and should take a backseat to economic growth and financial prosperity.
Let’s look first at what nationalism and environmentalism really mean, why they clash, and then at some solutions.
What is Nationalism?
Nationalism is a sentiment, often with strong emotions attached, that a country should emphasize economic growth, prosperity, and even global dominance over all other matters.
Nationalism espouses ideas such as:
- All jobs should be kept only for a country’s own native citizens, and that immigrants and foreign workers should not be selected for work over a native citizen.
- Most, if not all, of the products that a country’s citizens uses should be produced on home soil.
Local and international policies and laws can affect the degree to which nationalism is exercised. In 2017, for instance, the United States pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is a major source of international trade.
Under the current Trump Administration, there has been a palpable shift in policy that supports economic growth and prosperity over environmental concerns.
What is Environmentalism?
Environmentalism, in contrast, purports that Earth and its natural resources should be at the forefront of everyone’s minds. This philosophy states that pollution, global warming, and deforestation should be addressed first and foremost, taking precedence over economic growth and business development.
In the mind of an environmentalist, the most important thing an individual – and society – can do is protect valuable natural resources, which sustain life and limit catastrophes like flooding and damaging storms.
Environmentalism is concerned with conserving the planet’s resources, including water, minerals, metals and natural ecosystems, which are already under great strain from the world’s growing population.
How Nationalism Affects Environmentalism
The concepts of nationalism and environmentalism are quite different, which inevitably pins them against one another. This can cause challenges that the modern world finds hard to address.
Nationalism affects environmentalism by shifting the focus of peoples’ attention away from the environment and towards issues that nationalists feel are more urgent.
For example, time, energy, and resources are allocated to tightening borders, ramping up security, and controlling the job market instead of protecting the country’s interior and shorelines against erosion, flooding, and other consequences of rising temperatures, sea level rise, and global warming.
Nationalism is easily accentuated by the media, which moves focus away from the country’s environmental issues and instead turns it towards security and defense.
By emphasizing production and manufacturing on American soil only, nationalism ensures that pollutants are also local – in fact, estimates show that industrial pollution accounts for a whopping 50% of all man-made pollution on the planet. Pollution from manufacturing and industrial activities is responsible for shortened lifespans, a greater likelihood of illnesses, and destruction of the local environment and ecosystems.
There are many negative consequences triggered by an increased demand for manufacturing, including global warming, air pollution, water pollution, and soil pollution.
- Global warming is one of the most widespread and serious consequences of industrial pollution. When large amounts of methane gas and carbon dioxide (CO2) are released into the atmosphere, they absorb thermal energy from the sun, which leads to an increase of temperatures and sea levels on Earth.
- Soil pollution occurs when the soil becomes less fertile and may become wetter, drier, or have a different pH level due to the effects of industrial waste products. It therefore can’t support the same life that it did before. This has a major effect on the agricultural industry, which relies on a certain type and quantity of crop production every year to meet consumer demands.
Similarly, water quickly and easily becomes polluted when businesses discharge their waste – often containing radioactive materials, toxic chemicals, organic toxins, and metals – into rivers and seas. The careless and unregulated dumping of materials into waterways negatively affects all life.
Another way in which nationalism and environmentalism clash is in the fight over open spaces. Where environmentalists look to preserve, nationalists look to develop. This leads to a fundamental dispute over treasured open spaces and fragile areas, many of which are preserved for use by threatened and endangered flora and fauna. While nationalists believe it’s best to turn those areas into economic centers of opportunities, environmentalists wish to preserve them.
Possible Solutions
While it might seem that the two sides are at odds, there are some solutions that might benefit both sides. One is renewable energy. Solar, wind, and geothermal energy satisfy both needs by providing the energy that’s necessary for powering businesses without depleting more vital natural resources.
A benefit of renewable energy is that it reduces electric bills, which helps businesses cut operating expenses. This, in turn, allows them to increase productivity, sell more products, and ultimately become more successful.
In addition, with the push among consumers for more environmentally-friendly and transparent practices, companies who adopt more environmentally sound practices will get a boost in PR and public image.
Conclusion
The battle continues to wage between nationalism and environmentalism. Both are deep-rooted, intrinsic issues that touch on very sensitive issues. While both sides are set in their ways, there are some possible solutions, like alternative energy, that can provide a mutual footing for both.
Hi! I am Josy O’Donnel, and I am the creator of Conservation Institute. While completing my bachelors degree, I developed an interest in the study of Earth’s future and the conservation of Earth’s natural resources. Years after, I am still immersed in these subjects. I want to share my passion with an online community of people who are devoted spreading awareness and attention to the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.
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How do you feel about nationalism vs. environmentalism? What’s happening in your country? Let me know in the comments below.
Warm regards,
P.S. Don’t forget to download your free green living handbook “Live Well, Live Green” here.
Related:
- Why air pollution is even more harmful than you thought!
- Get rid of all the toxic products in your life (you’ll be shocked at where they hide!). It’s easy – see how here!
