We are part of the Earth system
September 5, 2024 | by Alice PataxóWhere does humanity go when it moves away from Mother Forest? When do we begin to ignore our survival instincts, our way of living and feeding ourselves? And, most importantly, why do we sacrifice well-being and traditions for time that doesn't belong to us?
The clock is, and always will be, the same. There are religions and cultures that even believe that this "time" is predestined from birth. So, I ask you: why do we rush toward this encounter with the end, without appreciating something greater than the view—the wisdom we acquire along the way?
The clock continues to tick, and our species continues to relentlessly consume more than the planet can regenerate. According to WWF-Brazil, this year's Earth Overshoot Day fell on August 1st, marking the moment when humanity exhausted all the natural resources the Earth can regenerate within 365 days. This means that by the end of 2024, we would need 1.75 planets to sustain our current level of consumption. Brazil fell just three days short of the global mark, reaching Earth Overshoot Day on August 4th.
What we don't consume or use in industry, fire consumes. This year, the Pantanal broke a record for fires: thousands of species are affected and threatened with extinction in this unique biome—rich in ancestral wisdom that can save the planet!—and we're allowing it to turn to ash. In addition to the criminal fires in the Amazon, the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Goiás are currently burning, causing irreversible damage to unique biomes already so weakened by human action and climate change, such as the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado.
Forests are synonymous with life, and that includes our own. Humanity has developed so much that it has come to believe itself dominant and independent, but we are too fragile in a sick land, in a forest that doesn't feed or heal its own creatures.
We are not the center of everything, but we depend on this vital connection, and Mahta reminds us of this by placing us at the center of this connection that cannot be ignored. Beyond the tradition of many indigenous peoples, this is a natural and uninterrupted connection, but one that needs to be exercised by societies: in the act of feeding themselves, preserving, and regenerating the forest.
About the author | Alice Pataxó is a young Indigenous activist and communicator from Aldeia Tibá, in southern Bahia. At just 20 years old, she is already an influential leader in the defense of the environment and the rights of indigenous peoples. She began her activism at age 14 in the student movement and gained global visibility by participating in COP26 in Glasgow. In 2022, nominated by Malala Yousafzai, she was recognized by the BBC as one of the "100 most inspiring and influential women in the world." Follow @alice_pataxo
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