Thoughts From An Anarchist Tree Hugger

Confession: I am a tree hugger. I love trees. I love being in nature. I'm an herbalist, a gardener, a fewer-chemicals-the-better kind of gal. I abhor litter bugs. I care about the environment. I am also an anarchist so I do not advocate state solutions. I acknowledge that many of the environmental issues are used by special interests to fear monger people into begging for government control.

In a recent conversation I had about environmentalism and climate change, I was misunderstood as not believing in climate change. Actually, I do believe in climate change. History shows us how the climate changes over the years due to many factors. I used to believe that all climate change was bad and all caused by us horrible humans polluting the world because that's what I was told to believe. I started to think more deeply about it and the motivations behind those making such claims. It was fear mongering and they always proposed government intervention to government created problems. There is a disturbing amount of cronyism with environmental agencies.

People talk about us humans as if we are apart from nature when in fact we are not. We are all a part of nature which is why taking care of it serves our own self interest.

As my voluntaryist/anarchist tendencies began to evolve I asked myself how would I address issues such as pollution without using the force of the state? In my search for market solutions to environmental issues I discovered PERC - Property and Environment Research Center. When the state holds a monopoly on services it suppresses innovation and personal responsibility. PERC presents answers based on property rights, free markets, and decentralizing. It was a good place to begin.

I asked myself, "what can I do?" Because it all begins with the individual and yet we can work collectively on certain issues, collaborate, and share the burden especially on a local level, thinking outside of the statist box, breaking away from institutionalized aggression, and creating an environment for positive growth.

I used to recycle and thought that those who didn't were the scourge of the earth. I learned a bit more about recycling, its effectiveness or lack thereof, and when/if it is a good solution.

I prefer to upcycle/recycle items on the homestead rather than trash them. I try to be a good steward of the earth. I pesticide-free farm and am implementing other resource efficient practices. But like most things, a conversation is needed along with education to spawn positive change. It all begins with the individual.

I love to talk to people about solutions and what they are personally willing to do about such matters. That is where the magic happens.