he environmental degradation of our planet is the most pressing existential threat to humanity today. The causes of this degradation—overconsumption, reckless exploitation of natural resources, deforestation, pollution and unchecked industrialisation—are deeply intertwined with the very frameworks of modern progress.
As the earth continues to succumb to these pressures, it is becoming increasingly clear that the paradigms of growth and development that have guided human societies for centuries are incompatible with the survival of the natural world. The urgency to rethink our relationship with nature has never been more crucial.
Scholars like Sumit Guha, Dipesh Chakrabarty and Amitav Ghosh have made significant contributions to understanding the profound consequences of human interaction with the environment. Their work also signals a broad intellectual shift in the search for alternative forms of progress—ones that do not destroy the delicate ecological balance upon which life depends.
Historically, existential threats to humanity were often framed in terms of military conflict or geopolitical competition. The 20th Century, particularly the Cold War era, was marked by the division of the world into adversarial blocs, with the looming threat of nuclear annihilation casting a long shadow over human existence. The fear of obliteration through war—such as the Cuban missile crisis—highlighted the vulnerability of global civilisation to human conflict. Since the mid-20th Century, a new threat has emerged. It is far more insidious and no less dire. It is environmental destruction.
The Los Angeles wildfires, for instance, are not isolated incidents but part of a pattern of ecological crises exacerbated by climate change. The frequency and intensity of wildfires, storms, floods and heatwaves have increased in tandem with global warming, pointing to the catastrophic consequences of unchecked industrial growth, fossil fuel consumption and environmental mismanagement. These disasters illustrate the scale of the threat to humanity’s very survival and the deep vulnerability of both developed and developing nations to environmental ruin.
This environmental crisis is not confined to any one region but is a global phenomenon. While the United States, China and other powerful nations have the resources to mitigate some of the damage, countries in the Global South—such as Pakistan—face even graver risks.
Pakistan, situated in a region vulnerable to climate-induced disasters like floods, droughts and extreme heatwaves, remains shockingly indifferent to the impending environmental threat. Despite being at the frontline of environmental catastrophe, Pakistan’s state apparatus and government have shown little concern or action toward addressing these risks. There is little acknowledgment of the dire need for systemic change at any level of governance, and the absence of effective environmental policies exacerbates the nation’s vulnerability.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, an air quality index (AQI) of 300 to 500 is hazardous; at levels that high, people should stay indoors to protect their lungs. The AQI measures fine particulate matter in the air — the grit that makes the air go grey, even black. RafayAlam, environmental activist and lawyer, has highlighted the severe impact of climate change on Pakistan, with annual flooding since 2010, industrial pollution, poor sanitation and agricultural pollutants. He cited a World Bank estimate that Pakistan loses around Rs 1 billion rupees due to environmental issues. He also pointed out the toll on public health, with thousands dying from air pollution and nearly 50 percent of hospital patients suffering from waterborne diseases due to contaminated water.
In order to confront this existential threat, it is imperative that we reconsider the prevailing discourse of progress that has been entrenched since the enlightenment. The idea of “progress” has often been synonymous with industrialisation, economic growth and technological innovation, all of which have contributed to the environmental degradation we face today.
The logic of infinite growth on a finite planet has led to the overexploitation of natural resources and a disregard for ecological limits. Yet, the Earth’s resources are not unlimited, and the consequences of unchecked human activity are now impossible to ignore.
Scholars like Leo Tolstoy, whose critique of materialism and advocacy for simplicity and spiritual connection to nature inspired many, provide a crucial starting point for rethinking progress. Tolstoy’s reflections on how modern life’s obsession with wealth, technology and power distances individuals from their essential human nature and from the natural world offer valuable insights into our current environmental predicament. His philosophy of “simple living and high thinking” encourages an ethical framework rooted in sustainability, humility and respect for nature—values that are essential for re-imagining a more harmonious relationship between humanity and the environment.
While Tolstoy’s ideas are timeless, contemporary thinkers are also providing compelling alternatives to the dominant paradigms of progress. Vandana Shiva, a scholar, environmental activist, food sovereignty advocate, eco-feminist and anti-globalisation author, has critiqued the corporate-controlled model of development. She advocates for an eco-feminist perspective on environmental justice, emphasising the importance of local, sustainable economies and the revalorisation of traditional ecological knowledge.
Shiva’s work offers a vision of progress that is not predicated on globalised industrial growth, but rather on nurturing biodiversity, respecting indigenous knowledge and fostering resilience in the face of environmental challenges.
Another contemporary thinker, Jason W Moore, an environmental historian and historical geographer at Binghamton University, where he coordinates the World-Ecology Research Collective merits mention here. He has argued in his work on the capitalocene that the modern capitalist system itself is responsible for the ecological crisis. He suggests that instead of framing the current epoch as anthropocene (the age of humans), we should understand it as a capitalocene, an age shaped by the forces of capitalism that have transformed nature into a commodity. Moore’s analysis calls for a radical rethinking of economic structures and a re-evaluation of what it means to progress.
The work of Arundhati Roy, who has critiqued both economic globalisation and the environmental degradation it fuels, also presents a vital alternative discourse of progress. Roy advocates for the protection of the commons, the Earth’s shared resources and the need to develop an ethical understanding of humanity’s place within the natural world. In her writing, she emphasises the need for a return to a more just and sustainable way of living—one that prioritises the wellbeing of all people and the planet, rather than the unchecked growth of powerful elites.
The time has come to recognise that the biggest existential threat to humanity is no longer geopolitical conflict or military confrontation. The climate crisis is now the central issue that demands urgent attention. From the wildfires of California to the devastating floods in Pakistan, the signs of environmental collapse are unmistakable. The world must come together to forge a new discourse of progress—one that emphasises sustainability, equity and deep respect for the natural world. This discourse must be informed by the ideas of thinkers like Tolstoy, Vandana Shiva, Arundhati Roy and Jason W Moore, who urge us to rethink the current trajectory of development and to chart a new path forward that does not sacrifice the planet for short-term gain.
In the face of mounting environmental challenges, it is essential that governments, communities and individuals recognise the gravity of the situation. The future of humanity depends on our ability to confront the environmental crisis and to rethink our relationship with the Earth. Failure to do so may not just lead to the destruction of ecosystems but to the end of the very foundations of human civilisation. The time for action is now. Through collective effort, grounded in ethical considerations and new ideas of progress, we can hope to secure a liveable future for generations to come.
The writer is a professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts at the Beaconhouse National University, Lahore.
