Derrick Jensen Article on Hope and Environmental Concerns

Derrick Jensen Article on Hope and Environmental Concerns

Kristen Zelenka

Jensen’s article is a call for awareness and action about the injustices done to our environment and the critical state it is in. His words are desperate in his characterization of the plight that environmentalists face in their attempts to, “try to stop civilized humans from tormenting some group of plants or animals.” But he also asserts that it is not hope that keeps them fighting despite the consensus that “We’re fucked.” Jensen defines hope as, “a longing for a future condition over which you have no agency; it means you are essentially powerless.” To him, hope is a false notion that ultimately betrays us into inaction because our belief that everything will eventually work themselves out.

To this belief, I partly agree and disagree. I agree that we each need to act out, take part, and participate in making the world we line in a better place. Everybody has some role in this and that a collective movement needs to take place to get any tangible results. A person cannot just take the back seat on an issue and just brush off the responsibility on somebody else. Nothing would ever happen this way.

However, I wholeheartedly disagree that hope is an evil thing that needs to be dealt with. Jensen himself, by writing his article, in a way hopes that his message will be heard that others will start to follow his lead. Hope has been the driving force and inspiration for leaders and their followers across human history trying to enact change and solve all of the issues that plague us. Yes, we ourselves need to be responsible and become part of a movement to make a difference, but there is nothing wrong in hoping our actions will inspire others to join us.