An online essay forum to elevate conversations about the political ecology of our environmental challenges and their possible solutions, What’s Next for Nature explores the relationships between our human-created systems of economics, law, and political science and our natural systems, addressing both the causes of environmental harm and the potential for regeneration.
Each forum will target a particular topic, such as democracy, orthodox economics, agricultural practices, or legal rights for nature. The Center will invite North American essayists from diverse backgrounds, sectors, and disciplines to share their perspectives and ideas. This forum will break down barriers that prevent innovative perspectives from reaching the people who can create even better conservation outcomes through research and policy.
What’s Next for Nature: Nature and Democracy
Our inaugural forum topic will address the relationship between nature and democracy. We’ve chosen democracy because of the convergence of our biodiversity and climate crises with the significant political shifts occurring across Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. Colorado State University is embedding the principles of democracy across the university through teaching and activities that highlight their value as tools of civic engagement and as a powerful way to bring people together as collaborative problem-solvers.
Questions our essayists may consider:
How does democracy influence North Americans’ interactions with and impact our natural world? Who has democratic legitimacy when it comes to making decisions about nature, and could a change in legitimacy benefit sustainability? What kinds of democratic representation could improve conservation, both its practice and its ethic?