Eco-fascism and Coronavirus: Why We Are Not “The Virus”
With the emergence of the Coronavirus, eco-fascist ideals are trending. This is why it needs to end.
If you have been watching the news, scrolling on Twitter, or interacting with any other social media platform, chances are you have seen the outlandish claims posted by those who praise the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on the environment. Numerous posts allege that air pollution levels decreased, local wildlife returned, and waterways transformed. Along with their praise of the coronavirus as “Earth’s vaccine”, these proponents claim that “humans are the virus”.
While highlighting the positive effects of decreased human movement is benign in itself, the spread of this belief has other implications. The problem with the “humans are the virus” narrative is that it implies that the only solution to the climate crisis is the sacrifice of a minority to save the whole of humanity. This is an eerie echo to the eco-fascist ideology and runs a serious risk of portraying the climate crisis as inevitable without genocide.
In an article by NewStatesmen, digital culture writer Sarah Manavis describes eco fascists as radical anti-Semitic, white-supremacist, and a nature-obsessed group that supports the notion that racial purity will save the Earth. Manavis backs this claim, citing a common eco-fascist belief: that human death can be beneficial as long as it is done for the sake of the environment. Additionally, Manavis summarizes their doctrine as a combination of modern-day neo-Nazism and environmentalism.
With the increased use of the “humans are the virus” rhetoric, there will be the spread of eco-fascist beliefs. We must stop employing this rhetoric, or we risk fueling the fires that drive eco-fascism. Allowing these ideas to circulate and expand their influence will only hurt the climate movement and aid the rise of damaging ideologies.
TRIGGER WARNING: DEATH AND VIOLENCE.
One such eco-fascist belief is overpopulation is a major driving factor of the climate crisis. Mass shooters have frequently used this idea to justify their racially charged actions. A well-known example is Patrick Crusius, known as the El Paso shooter. He stated in his manifesto, “If we can get rid of enough people, then our way of life can be more sustainable”. Inevitably, with the spread of eco-fascism, the climate movement will be tainted by the violence of these perpetrators. This will deform the climate movement, and it will no longer represent justice and security, but anarchy and violence.
Moreover, as Vice writer Joe Sandler Clarke states, it shifts the blame onto the marginalized and disadvantaged. Developing countries will automatically be blamed for causing climate change since their birth rates tend to be much higher than wealthier countries.
Furthermore, this perspective overlooks how differently certain societies and lifestyles affect the environment. Non-industrialized nations have emission levels that pale in comparison to wealthier countries. Therefore, lumping them together disregards the disproportionate effects of these societies on the climate. Moreover, in many cases, the blame is shifted to Africa, Asia, and many other non-western countries. This overlooks the fact that these non-industrialized countries produce a mere fraction of the emissions of consumerist countries, such as the US.
In more ways than one, the notion that “humans are the virus” is eco-fascist and has detrimental impacts on the climate movement. We need to stop employing this type of rhetoric in order to prevent the rise of potentially violent complementary ideologies.
Tiffany Mar is a 17-year-old climate activist and intersectional feminist. She currently organizes as the Logistics Lead for California Youth Climate Strike. Anika Sharma is a 16-year-old who is a current member of the California Logistics Team.
Note: The views of the author may not reflect the views of the U.S. Youth Climate Strike.
