Kevin Michael DeLuca’s “A Wilderness Environmentalism Manifesto: Contesting the Infinite Self-Absorption of Humans” was a particularly interesting read and by far one of my favourites thus far. DeLuca explored the intersectionality of the environmental issue in a very critical way. DeLuca takes a fascinating position in terms of how we need to approach the issue of climate change. DeLuca presents the point that “[c]ulture is often the problem and should not be a trump card used to stop protecting species and ecosystems” (DeLuca, 31). This perspective is interesting in that it argues, in a way, against intersectionality.

DeLuca’s perspective in this paper explains that “[e]nvironmental protection often increases human suffering” (DeLuca, 34) and because of this, trying to balance environmental and human issues can sometimes prove to be impossible. DeLuca uses a number of examples to illustrate this point, such as the concern that “[w]hen the right of minorities to have jobs is the paramount concern, it becomes difficult to condemn jobs and work practices harmful to the environment” (DeLuca, 35). 

I find this perspective so interesting because of how critically it approaches the concepts of intersectionality. Typically, people consider human needs first and foremost as DeLuca explains but this proves to be problematic and often serves to inhibit any progress. DeLuca, using an environmentally focused lens, suggests that “[i]nstead of people first, it is wilderness first but with a recognition that caring for wilderness is caring for people” (DeLuca, 43). In the paper, DeLuca doesn’t suggest that the other aspects of intersectionality aren’t important and that other social justice issues aren’t as salient but presents that they should not be positioned against each other. 

DeLuca’s position outlines the tightly woven issue with attempting to dismantle oppression in that often when acting upon one method of oppression, one contributes to another. This issue can be seen with any social movement: from suffragettes omitting black women to the Pride movements antagonizing transexual people. These examples are very human-centric but DeLuca points out how the same issues apply to environmental justice. The issue raises the question of how we rank the need for relief from oppression. Should we as humans focus on human-centric issues? Or by focusing on the environment are we given the opportunity to still serve humanistic goals while also protecting the environment as DeLuca suggests. Or is there another potential option? One that acknowledges the cyclical nature of oppression and instead of suggesting that we can deal with it in any meaningful way, presents the need for a complete restructuring of discourse and society. 

Luke

DeLuca, K. (2007). A Wilderness Manifesto: Contesting the Infinite Self Absorption of Humans, Environmental Justice and Environmentalism: The Social Justice Challenge to the Environmental Movement. MIT Press. 27-56.