by Emma Spett

“In nature’s economy the currency is not money, it is life” – Vandana Shiva, Earth Democracy: Justice, Sustainability, and Peace

Over the course of every budding environmentalist’s life, they are bound to come across a few big names; Thoreau, Leopold, Muir. The voices of environmentalism that have historically categorized the movement, wax poetic about the beauty of nature and the value of wildness. But we moving more towards a world where an understanding of ubiquitous human impact on the environment is essential to being an effective advocate and having a respect for the earth.

One of the most prominent voices of modern environmental activism students will often encounter her work on ecofeminism, climate resilience, indigenous knowledge, and sustainable agriculture. Dr. Shiva occupies an interesting role as an advocate from India, where she stresses the significance of addressing the impacts of climate change and other forms of environmental degradation on communities that do not significantly contribute to global emissions. Dr. Shiva often uses examples from her own country to amplify the urgency of our present environmental dilemma.
Dr. Shiva was trained as a physicist first in India, and then in Canada. In 1991, she founded an organization called Navdanya, which seeks to protect living resources, particularly through the promotion of organic and sustainable agriculture. She has published over twenty books, appeared in a variety of documentaries, and possesses an advisory role for a plethora of international environmental organizations, from India to Spain and beyond.

I spent the summer of 2015 conducting research in the Himalayas of Northern India, where a community-based conservation organization was utilizing traditional ecological knowledge to address wildlife conservation and local sustainability. Vandana Shiva was a beacon of inspiration for all of the conservationists I came across, both for her global universality as well as her dedication and love for the ecosystems of India. In a globalizing world where those who work and live most closely in conjunction with the planet are experiencing the brunt of environmental destruction, Dr. Shiva is an advocate for the maintenance of the ancient, simple, symbiotic relationship to nature.

Emma Spett is a senior at NYU’s Gallatin School, where she concentrates in Environmental and Conservation Science. During her time at NYU, Emma has conducted research on community-based conservation and climate change adaptation in Malawi and Northern India. Emma also leads EarthMatters at NYU and coordinates the CSA and the environmental literary journal.