| As you may know in Series 3 there is a new Tribe called the “Eco-Tribe” (also known as the “Gaians” and a prominent member of them is PRIDE (another is a certain character known as EAGLE!). This worldview article looks at the environment and ecological issues in the Tribe in general, and with Pride and the Eco-Tribe in particular…
We all live on Earth and depend on it for everything related to life – from food to water and the very air that we breath. The environment is crucially important. We also need things from the planet that we use in other ways , such as raw materials and minerals. But the way we behave affects the environment – if we “take” things from the environment we can change the natural balance of things – and if the environment changes then that in turn influences the way we live. Does using the environment necessarily mean abusing it with things like pollution?
In the Tribe to say the very least, things have changed. Without adults there are no more working factories anymore – no new cars produced, no new trains or traffic jams. Instead you must use a skateboard, rollerboots, or plain old walking boots to get around. This means there is much less pollution so in some ways the environment is in better shape than it is in the real world because the amount of pollutants and chemicals that are released into the environment would be far less than today. But the environment would be worse off in other ways compared to the real world today. With no adults and no local or national infrastructure in place (things like rubbish removal or rubbish sites) it is likely that lots of rubbish that the surviving kids and teens would make would be left to pile up rather than being carefully treated and disposed of. The city would soon be full of old cans and tins of food or drink, old plastic bottles, used and disposed of items. In the Tribe often the streets are littered with – litter! This is not good for the environment!
Pride and the rest of the Eco-Tribe have a very strong affinity with the environment and nature. They identify themselves with different animals and often take animal names for their own names. The Eco-Tribe are not “hippies” but do believe everyone has a personal responsibility to do what they can to nurture and protect the earth – that if you need to “use” it you do not “abuse” it. The Eco-Tribe love living in the countryside away from the city, where they can grow their own food and enjoy a rural existence. They prefer natural food instead of processed tinned food. This reflects their care for the environment philosophy. Yes the environment can be “used” – it is needed to grow food but the Eco-Tribe feel this needs to be done carefully. You cannot “overdo” growing food or the soil will be under too much stress and this will be counterproductive. Similarly you can`t overfish or else this is not good for the environment. The ecology needs a gentle touch. The city is anathema and disliked by the Eco-Tribe. They simply hate it – the city is the opposite of nature. Pride is certainly streetwise and knows how to get around the city but given a chance, his preference would be to return to the Eco-Tribe base in the countryside. The Eco-Tribe do not like “manufactured” things – the concrete jungle for them is ugly and “impure” in a way compared to the beauty of the real jungle that can be found in the countryside. The graffiti walls and streets of litter do not fit with the notion that the ecology is of first importance.
Unlike the Eco-Tribe many city-based tribes are simply concerned with controlling territory in the city and having power and influence. They do not care about growing apples, tending herds of animals or enjoying the sheer beauty of a glorious sunset. City-based Tribes would probably dismiss the Eco-Tribe as a bunch of “losers” or “hippies”. They would mock their names and laugh at the importance the rural tribes would attach to the environment. In the city, the main word is not the environment – it is “survival” first. So in a way there is a conflict between these two schools of thought – city-based tribes who feel the environment is there to be used, and rural based Tribes who feel the environment should be protected. Wouldn`t there be eventual conflict between these two contrary points of view? Or would a compromise be reached somehow? Or instead, when the Eco-Tribes and city-tribes meet, would one point of view dominate over the other – could Pride be a force for “good” and be able to convince the city tribes to clean up the streets, to take care of the environment? Is he right to think that way?
Do you feel the environment is neglected and more should be done to protect it – or do you feel there is no point worrying about the long-term, that the only thing that matters is “using” the environment in the short-term? As a mini-vote, do you agree with Pride about the Environment orcity tribes? Why not email us your vote (either “PRIDE” or “CITY”) to ecologyvote We will announce the results of the vote on Monday 26th February. |
The Environment – does using it mean abusing it?
The Tribal Environment
The Eco-Tribe
Which way the future?
What about yourself?