NO LIGHT Ecology: The Darkness of Ecocentrism

No Light Ecology attempts to contextualise the greening process; if we do not take account of the darkness inherent in the light, we risk creating an imbalance. People are often repelled by ‘goodness’. Naturally weary of do gooding, the mainstream masses can resist even the most sensible policies.

It is up to us to seek out eco-solutions with a sense of proportion: doing good without creating another storm of impending doom; uncovering the darkness that balances the light, as we go. The task ahead can feel overwhelming. So many products, so many lifestyle changes – will we ever make it? The magnitude of the crisis can be a source of darkness itself, if you meditate on it, even just for a few moments. There is a carbon crisis associated with climate change, and there is also a great deal of biodiversity loss affecting the planet. Whichever way you look at it, we are required to make a vast array of changes that benefit the environment. In other words, in energetic terms, we have to buy back the negative energy that we have foisted on the environment.

The word ecocentric refers to a belief system that puts nature at its heart, rather than anthropocentric, which puts humans at its centre. Ecocentralisation is the process by which industry reforms itself to look after earth. It assumes that humans are already being served by the industrial process, and that what is needed is a refocussing to protect the planet. What sort of things do we need to engage? I have grappled with the top six ways of reducing my impact on the environment for the past decade or more, here are my findings. Different approaches are needed to tackle each of the crises:

Households looking to cut down their carbon should adopt these six points: buy an electric car, change to renewable energy supplier, cut down clothes shopping, go flexitarian, avoid flying, and keep computers/phones for longer.

Someone looking to protect biodiversity should avoid plastic entirely, buy organic food, follow the mantra reduce-reuse-recycle, compost their food waste, use ecological cleaing products, leave grass to grow in ‘no mow May’ and ‘let it bloom June’.

Most eco-conscious people will want to do both, protect biodiversity and prevent climate change. There are many points along the road of consumption at which we are required to take action. It is difficult not to feel nourished by the good that we do for the environment. Saving the earth can be uplifting. But it is not always easy.

Ecocentralisation at home means stopping to think every time you buy something: can I buy a refurbished computer? can I recycle my old machine? do I really need to buy this made of plastic? By committing to putting earth at the heart of decision making you are empowering yourself to go green in everything you do. But it is important to remember, you are not doing it because it is lightfilled, warm and fuzzy, but because we face an emergency. 

Urgent action is needed to stem the flow of carbon into the atmosphere. If we do not act now, the earth will be destroyed, it could quite easily become unliveable. When we invest in eco products we are acting from a place of urgency. Rather than geeing ourselves up with an eco shop, we are relieved to have found some solutions, to have stopped pouring waste and pollution into the earth.

By making our unconscious worry about the earth conscious, we are able to leverage that bad feeling to do good. Some people do not believe that there is a climate crisis, they are paralysed by apathy. When people wake up to the catastrophes of climate change and biodiversity loss they are able to remedy their damaging consumption patterns. It is not a question of ‘should I’, but ‘how can I not’. Ecocentralisation is something that, eventually, everyone needs to engage in, something that we do because it would be strange not to.

It is up to each individual to stimulate the businesses that provide eco solutions; to write emails to their favourite brands asking for ecological versions of their favourite products; to buy the new products on offer; to shop around for the most eco friendly solution. The internet makes things easier because smaller enterprises can offer niche products that supermarkets do not yet stock. The downside is that you often have to pay postage and packaging meaning you spend more.

No Light Ecology aims to reframe the debate about climate change and consumer activism. Buying into climate friendly products and services needs to become a force of habit. Without making the unconscious fear conscious, we risk indulging in earth friendly products as a fad. Nothing can be 100% light, so revering the darkness of climate action could be one way of assuring its perpetuity. Here is a list of ideas where darkness can be seen in otherwise lightfilled activism:

Sacrifice – buy less, make it last. This means changing what you buy leading to a change in your habits. This is best explained with some examples. Eating plant based foods for three days a week means going without meat and dairy for those days. You may feel cheated, or you may embrace the new foods. Either way you will undergo a process of sacrifice as you let go of what you once had to make room for something else. Coir sponge scourers are an excellent substitute product that reduce the amount of microplastics released into the waterways. They are more expensive than the classic green scourers, which are mindbogglingly cheap. I tend to use the coir scourers until they fall apart. As long as there is a bit of scrub left, I will use it. The delapidated remains can be composted in the garden. Wearing clothes for longer before washing them, and buying replacement clothes less often is another example where sacrifice can benefit the earth. It is a shame to buy less clothes, but on the other hand, you are protecting the planet from intensive carbon emissions. Clothes are one of the most surprisingly high emitters of carbon. On the upside, you will probably save money, good news, given the next point.

Financial cost – spend more, save less. This is the least popular darkside of earth friendly products, and what stands in the way of more people adopting new ecological product lines like eco cleaning products and organic food. In some ways, financial cost is used to imply quality, and mark eco products as high end luxury destined for an eco conscious elite. In theory, the prices should come down, the more people buy them. If you have a high disposable income, you should feel under more pressure to support the eco brands. Economies of scale have been central to economic growth over the centuries. It takes time to build a market and offer a new product. If you can afford to invest in new, more expensive product lines, know that you are part of something bigger, but that the market needs time to grow and reach more people before prices can come down. The more people who buy eco friendly products, the more new products will be developed. Spending more on eco products is like giving to charity: taking care of the earth is a priceless good cause. But you can only spend what you afford. If you save money by buying less and making it last (see above) you might just free up enough cash to buy organic more often.

Imperfect solutions – accept some damage to the environment. Few products are 100% natural and organic. It is difficult to produce a wholly natural product. When I first started to buy organic, I would scour the shelves for the most organic of products, rejecting those that were less natural. Now I still read the labels for the most natural, but I am a little less fussy. The saying ‘we don’t need a few people recycling perfectly, we need everyone recycling imperfectly’ comes to mind. If we can reduce our damage to the environment by 90%, that is a real achievement. But that remaining 10% deserves a pause for thought. Ideally, we would leave no trace on the earth. Recognising that the product is imperfect, or that the packaging needs recycling, which takes energy, is one way to honour the darkness inherent in a product. If we revere the earth and take a moment to honour it, we can appreciate the darkness inherent in even the most organic of produce.

Urgent action needed – realise how important protecting earth is. I wouldn’t be writing this blog if I didn’t think consumer activism was an essential part of fighting climate change. The dangers of greenhouse gasses, emitted by fossil fuels, have been known about for some time, but action was not taken. Now things are getting urgent. Every year breaks a new record high temperature, with record floods, fires, and droughts. If we want to reduce the greenhouse gasses, we need to change what we consume. Buying eco options is not all about doing good, rather, it is about responding to an urgent need. If you do not feel anxious about climate change, you are probably avoiding the issue. If you are more ‘wahey we’re having hotter summers and milder winters’, not, ‘uh oh we’re hotting up with no sign of stopping’ perhaps it’s time to take stock. Getting real about climate change can be a scary process. We need to mobilise so many of us to win the fight, it can seem insurmountable. But if we are to contain temperature rises and severe weather events, we, one by one, need to confront reality and take action. The future is uncertain, will we do it?

What a chore – breaking with the norm takes energy. Doing anything out of the ordinary, or stepping outside your comfort zone requires a certain strength of mind. When we go shopping, we make lots of value judgments about what we are buying. We can be overwhelmed by the choice on offer and deciding what to buy, without worrying about the climate, can be tiresome. Opening your eyes to new products, reading labels, and weighing up the differences between new eco-products can be quite a chore. I bought what I thought was an eco sponge with five E’s listed on the packet only to realise when I got home that it was made from polyester, a micro plastic shedding fibre, not very eco at all. Evading greenwashing and choosing the most ecologically friendly products is not always easy, it can feel like you’ve taken one step forward, and two steps backwards.

All in all, becoming eco friendly is not the all enlightening experience it should be! Fraught with peril, the journey to greening your shopping basket is unlikely to be smooth. Sharing tips with friends can reduce the burden. Buying in bulk to reduce postage costs can also help. What is worth remembering, or tuning in to, is that nothing is pure light; everything has a cost. By investing our time and effort into discovering new products, or going without sometimes, we are buying the earth out of its karmic debt; we are shouldering the price of our own material development, instead of expecting the earth to deteriorate for our benefit.

No Light Ecology is a hard sell. Few people sign up to say yes please, I’ll suffer and sacrifice. But in the context of a planet that has all but been destroyed, it is one way of returning to a time when we revered the earth, we felt its pain and we made decisions that put it at the centre. Eco products are not just for an elite of earth savers, but for anyone who dares to change the face of their shopping basket. While embracing all the darkness of ecocentrism we can reach a place of energetic equilibrium.

Vegan Plum Masala with Quinoa

Sweet and fruity with fresh plums, tomatoes, squash and hazelnuts.

Prep time: 55min

Serves 4

600g squash, roasted

160g plums, chopped

170g cherry tomatoes

1 ½ teasp garam masala

5 cloves

3 tbsp of plum sauce

80g hazelnuts

can of chickpeas

200g kale

300g quinoa

Slice the squash while preheating the oven to 200 degrees / Gas mark 7. Place squash in a roasting dish and drizzle with oil. Place at the top of the hot oven. Warm a little oil in a large frying pan. Chop the plums into small pieces and add to the oil. Pour three spoonfuls of plum sauce over the plums. Add the cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle garam masala over the fruits, add cloves. Add the hazelnuts and a can of chickpeas drained. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20minutes. In a separate saucepan, boil the kale for 10 minutes. Boil the quinoa in water as per the instructions. When the kale is cooked, add to the fryin g pan and stir in. Once the squash has been roasting for 45minutes, take out of the oven. Serve the quinoa, plum masala and squash.

NO LIGHT Ecology: Tech and the Shadow Side

When a new technology comes to the market there are often outcries about the harm to society that it will wreak. Take AI, the number of jobs that it threatens could cause a global recession. Social media is causing a breakdown in child psychology. If / when AI becomes conscious we’re not ready to manage the unforeseen consequences. Throughout history, new technologies have morphed the way that we live. Until a new technology becomes established, its full effect cannot be fully appreciated. It is diffuclt to guage how integrated it will become. As a result, new technologies hit us like waves reaching the shore; one innovation after another, each building on the previous invention.

I don’t want to be a naysayer, I think I am quite open minded, but I have noticed that many modern technologies pander to our shadow side. Our shadow side shies away from social interaction. It doesn’t want to meet new people, or chat to someone in the shops. Our shadow side doesn’t want to leave the house, or walk anywhere. I argue that unlike inventions of the past, like boats, trains and aeroplanes, which are expansive, increasing the users experiences, quite literally expanding their horizons, many modern technologies are reducing their users experience and, as a result, increasing isolation. 

Instead of going shopping, we browse online. Instead of going to the cinema, we watch Netflix. Instead of talking to the shop assistant, we self check out. Instead of talking to people on the bus, we are on social media. Instead of talking to our family at dinner time, we are on our mobile phone. Looking to rent a room? Housemates no longer seek a match, instead landlords recruit the new housie and housemates hang out in their rooms, on their laptops. Everywhere we look, modern society, aided by tech, is shrinking our social sphere.

In Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell cites sociologist Granovetter’s theory about the strength of ‘weak connections’. Like that between the shop assistant and the customer, a weak connection can be more important than a strong connection in effecting social and cultural change. But these connections are disappearing. Now we do not have to leave the house for any reason, if we do not want to. We entertain ourselves with social media and AI chatbots, we eat food deliveries. Why should such virtual realities permeate our lives? Why were we so willing to sacrifice our old ways of life? 

The answer is threefold. Dependent on hand held computers in the form of mobile phones, and laptops, shiney new tech, with flashing lights and multicolours is hard to resist. I have had a mobile phone for nearly thirty years and I rarely tire of picking it up for an update, even if its just the weather. The path of progress is unstoppable with new technology and functionality tying in to fun gadgets. Our virtual realities are addictive. We are only too happy to use our electronic gizmos more and more. And the more we carry out our business online, the less we interact with each other in person.

Secondly, mechanisation is generally cheaper than managing humans, so more and more businesses are replacing humans with machines. The more automated the shopping experience, in theory, the cheaper it should be. Cheaper usually wins out as customers vote with their wallets. Centralised retail warehouses, and global social media platforms all use economies of scale to offer the customer a cheaper product. Money based economies are driving us towards a streamlined virtual world that is financially superior. Whether it is ecologically sound, or socially rewarding is an entirely different matter. Money based economics ignore these other criteria. Virtual worlds have the feel of good value because so much content is free, paid for by adverts.

Finally, technology panders to our shadow side. Our introverted, antisocial shadow does not want to wait in a queue or greet the shop assistant; it does not want to walk into town and browse the aisles for some new clothes; it does not think to join a new club to meet new people, instead it creates an AI companion. Technophiles think they are helping people to get more out of life for less effort, but they are erasing vast swathes of sociability and opportunity. Without physical interaction, being close to other humans, and idly chatting, we miss out on creating those all important weak connections.

Another aspect of our shadow side is vanity. And of late, new tech has certainly played into our vainglorious streak. Selfies, photo albums, videos, all document our lives in technicolour. New tech tends to mimic ourselves, what it means to be human is imitated and amplified. We call, we record voice messages, we compose photos, we make videos of the beautiful things in our lives. We search for validation. Do I look pretty? Do you like my posts? And now AI companions mean we can mimic friendships. If no one else is around we can log in to our chatbox host and have endless conversation about anything we can imagine. Tech takes what we can already do, and makes it better, bigger, further reaching and lasting: the virtual world is full of content old and new, our lives are immortalised on the web. 

And it’s not just the memories and snapshots of our lives. As robotics develop, as artificial intelligence becomes more nuanced, we will create millions of robots using tonnes of resources, all dependent on electricity. We aim to mimic, not just part of us, but entire family members. The novelty value of a robot, of a walking, talking human that isn’t a human, is impossible to resist. But just as with the development of AI, where no one thought about the energy cost, there is no consideration of the damage we will do to the environment in creating all these new computerised toys. Our vainglorious, “fun” side takes precedent. 

If we travel down this road of technology, anywhere and everywhere, our energy costs will undoubtedly rise. Until we discover clean energy, we should all be thinking about cutting down our energy consumption, not increasing it. Thats if we get that far. With temperatures rising, their could be an apocalyptic rise in temperatures, which only worsens the more energy we burn and the more resources we process. Here comes my main boggle with technology: without clean energy, shortsightedness will take us down a path of intensive technology, and ever higher energy consumption. AI gadgets and gizmos will come to predominate when basic products would suffice. There will be a robot in every home, just for the crack.

I’m not suggesting we get rid of technology, but the world is facing a climate crisis. Various govenments have annnounced a climate emergency. As part of that emergency, we should be limiting, or delaying, the technology that is introduced. We have forgotten nature, we spend little time in meditation. Our neurones have become hard wired to indulge in technology. It is perfectly normal to create a virtual reality and to exist within it, from the moment we wake up, to the moment that we go to sleep. But for all our infinite innovation, are we about to shoot ourselves most finally in the foot? With rising energy costs, will we lose all hope of cutting down to net zero?

What can we do about this unstoppable train of technological evolution? Will we be happy cosying up with our shadow side, hidden away from the world, forever? Social isolation is a major problem in the UK. Public spaces have deteriorated in the face of virtual spaces, heightening the problems of people who live alone. When we become aware of the dynamic, we can buck the trend. By spending more time outdoors, in our communities we can mend our broken relationship with society. We can use social media to find events that are going on near to us. We can switch off the phone at meal times. We could leave the phone at home.

No Light Ecology says that it is ok to sacrifice your time spent using technology. Indulging your senses in a walk amongst nature, in a dance class, or in quiet contemplation may not be as shiney and bright as browsing on your mobile phone, but it can nourish your body and mind. Making your computer and phone last for longer, and buying refurbished products are another source of sacrifice that leads to ecological advantage.

Just as watching TV, gaming, and using mobile phones gives you a lift, it is possible to find a lift in lo-fi, non tech experiences. Some years ago, I had an elightening experience in meditation inIndia. I spent weeks feeling that everything around me was just as it should be. Buildings that I had once thought were ugly were the proper destiny of a modern people, creative and beautiful even, probably as the architect intended. Enlightenment comes in many forms. Today, most people find their light in technology. That is ok. But we need to be aware of how it panders to the shadow side, and that it eats up resources and energy. Switching to some lo-fi solutions for a few hours a week would reduce your carbon footprint and potentially expand your horizons in new ways. Do you dare to shake off technology, and shake off your shadow?

NO LIGHT Ecology: An Introduction

Technology has developed at an astounding rate in recent decades with the internet boom changing our lives forever. The most recent tech to take us “forward” is AI.

According to the philosophy of yin and yang, whenever we do something, good or bad, it has an equal and opposite reaction. Ecologial behaviour has a good feel about it. Does that mean it will cause some evil later on down the road? If we are to save the planet from our polluting ways, we have little choice but to embark on the journey. But what if we solve ecological problems with sacrifice, does that mean we still have a karmic debt to pay? If we aim for net zero carbon, does that take us to back into cosmic balance?

Religion is often blamed for causing wars. It is accused of being divisive, creating mutually exclusive philosophical realities that lead to conflict. But more fundamental than that, is the pure goodness of religion a magnet for death and destruction? It is human nature to seek happiness and crave peace. Religions around the world have laid down values that aim to satisfy this inner unrest for millennia. Inner calm is big business. But what happens when we channel light? Do we attract darkness?

Over the next weeks, in a series of posts, I posit that we need to consider light and dark when we implement social and cultural changes to benefit ecology. Aetheism dominates cultures today because in the advent of science, ethereal representations of the creative and destructive forces of god (good) and the devil (evil) no longer resonated with the majority of people. That does not mean they are not there. But how we manage them has become much more personalised. Unless you go to church there are no rituals, no prayers and no preachings. Our moral compass is just as likely to be the TV!

Acting in the interest of someone other than ourselves, doing good, is no longer culturally assigned. There is no risk of hell spurring us on, no vicar to mandate behaviour. How do we motivate billions of people to act in the interest of the earth, to undertake that risky business of doing good?

No Light Ecology aims to discuss modern ecological breakdowns, and to suggest practical solutions. Quite often there is a philosophical chasm between where we are now and where we want to be. People resist change, and they have failed to hear the earth calling. No Light Ecology explores whether we can, if we use our energy wisely, make change culturally, without creating waves of light, without doing so much good that it repels the very people who need to change most.

Vegan Cherry Tomato, Black Bean and Hazelnut Pasta

Juicey tomato pasta with black beans and hazelnuts, accents of garlic and oregano.

Prep time 40minutes

Serves 3 – 4

150g cherry tomatoes

5-6 cloves of garlic

tin of chopped tomatoes

mixed herbs, salt and pepper

3-4 handfuls of hazelnuts

can of black beans

200g greens

150-200g pasta

dollops of tahini

Chop the garlic and fry in a little oil Add the cherry tomatoes to the frying pan. Once the tomatoes and garlic are blanched, add the tin of tomatoes. Sprinkle 2-3 teaspoons of mixed herbs, salt and pepper. Chop the hazelnuts and add to the pan. Drain the black beans and add to the frying pan. Bring to the boil then simmer for 20 minutes. Cook the greens in a separate pan. Boil the pasta. Drain the greens and add to the frying pan. Drain the pasta and and stir into the sauce. Serve with a dollop of tahini, bread and salad optional.

Cherry Tomato and Courgette Pasta

Fresh, zesty and seasonal, this pasta is quick and easy to prepare. 

Prep time: 20min

Serves 2

20 cherry tomatoes

150g courgette (one medium courgette)

5 cloves garlic

120g spinach

12 large olives

40g hazelnuts, chopped

half a can of white beans

one lemon juiced

generous pinch of oregano

70g pasta

Boil the pasta as per the instructions. While it is cooking, heat some oil in a large frying pan. Slice the courgettes, and chop the garlic, fry in the oil. Add the tomatoes. Halve the olives and add to the pan. Chop the nuts and add to the pan. Drain the beans and add to the pan. Sprinkle oregano and drizzle lemon juice over the contents of the pan. Wilt the spinach in a separate pan for 3 minutes, drain. Stir the frying pan regularly. When the pasta is cooked, drain. Add pasta and spinach to the frying pan, turn up the heat, and mix thoroughly. Serve in a bowl, season and drizzle with oil.

Lentils, Beans and Rice

This fusion cuisine combines the spiced lentils of India with the traditional South American dish black beans and rice.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Serves 4

In pot 1:

150g brown rice

150g lentils

600ml boiling water

2-3 tsp stock

3 tsp garam masala

In frying pan 2:

drizzle of oil

small onion chopped

80g hazelnuts, chopped

can of black beans

75g cherry tomatoes, halved

3 tsp garlic puree

Super simple to cook, prepare the two pans full of good nosh and combine into one melange of plant based comfort food. Pot 1: put all ingredients into the pot, turn up the heat and allow to boil for 25 minutes, or until rice and lentils are cooked. Pot 2: fry onions in the oil until translucent. Crush the nuts in a bag with a rolling pin, or chop, and add to onions. Drain black beans and add to frying pan. Halve the cherry tomatoes, and add to the pan. Stir both pots frequently. After 25 minutes, the water in pot 1 should be absorbed. It is time to add the contents of pot 2. Stir well. Serve in soup bowls, bread optional.

*If you want to add some greens to the mix, boil up some spinach or kale in a third pot and mix in at the end.

Summer Salad II

A simple salad, dressed in lemon and fresh herbs from the garden.

Prep time 20 minutes

Serves: 2

100g quinoa

2 handfuls rocket

3 handfuls of lettuce

150g broad beans (or a medium courgette)

2 medium tomatoes

chives, parsley, oregano (be generous!)

Boil the quinoa for 20minutes; cover with water in the ratio 2:1, water should be fully absorbed. Tear up lettuce and rocket and put into a salad bowl. Chop tomato finely. Chop, then fry the broad beans (or courgette) in a little oil, spray with lemon juice and salt. Cut the chives and tear the parsley and oregano into small pieces, sprinkle over lettuce. Once the quinoa is cooked, spoon onto the salad bowl over the leaves. Pour the broad beans over the top. Scatter the tomato over the beans. If you have chive flowers, add them to the top of the salad. Drizzle some oil, or your favourite dressing over the salad.

Spiced Veg and Hazelnut Couscous

Bursting with summer flavours, this melange of cherry tomatoes, white beans and greens is packed full of goodness.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Serves 3

Three large drizzles of oil

30 cherry tomatoes

2-3 tsp garam masala

can of white beans

225g greens

60g hazelnuts (three handfuls)

Sprigs of parsley

150g couscous

salt, pepper, lemon juice

Warm some oil in a large frying pan. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add to the oil. Sprinkle with 2-3 tsp of garam masala. In a separate pan, boil the greens until cooked. Cut the hazelnuts in half. Drain the beans. Add the nuts and beans to the frying pan and stir well. When the greens are cooked, drain and add to the frying pan. Prepare the couscous. Turn up the heat under the frying pan. Add the chopped parsley and lemon juice, hear it sizzle! Serve the mix of veg with couscous in a bowl, with another drizzle of oil, salt and pepper.

Summer Pasta in Garlic White Sauce

Seasonal veg eat your heart out, this pasta dish is bursting with juicy summer veg dressed in a garlic white sauce, brought to life with oregano.

Prep time: 15minutes

Serves 2

100g pasta

130g courgette

10 cherry tomatoes

40g roasted hazelnuts

2/3 can of mixed beans

180g spinach

2 tsp garlic puree

lots of oregano

for the roux:

20ml oil

20g flour

225ml oat milk

Boil the pasta. While it is cooking, slice the courgette, and fry in a medium sized frying pan. In a small saucepan warm 20ml of oil, once it is spitting, sprinkle the flour over it and mix well, creating a thick paste. Gradually add the 225ml of milk, stirring in. In another saucepan boil the spinach in an inch of water (lid on) until wilted. Slice the tomatoes and add to the courgette. Roughly chop the hazelnuts. Add the nuts, and beans to the frying pan. After a few minutes, add the roux, garlic puree and oregano to the frying pan, and stir well. If you have a lid, put it on the frying pan. Turn up the heat and warm through. Pasta should now be cooked, drain and add to the frying pan. Stir well.