OUR HOME IS ON FIRE

This essay aims to provide an initial discussion on how environmental problems have been analysed, in which we will propose that the analyses so far were composed by four types of approaches, not necessarily articulated with each other, and because of it, they are not enough to overcome obstacles to preserve Nature, human and non-human life. Our proposition intends to deal with the necessity to make the different layers of discussion on ecological matters explicit, and also to add a fifth layer, that would help to address these issues – for instance the deforestation in Brazil – using two theological-spiritual notions from the XIV Dalai Lama and Pope Francis. The proposed layers are composed by levels or depths: first, the biological; second, the economic; third, the institutional; and fourth, the worldview of rational thought. The fifth would be one of ecological conversion/education of hearts (universal responsibility) as proposed by the Dalai Lama and Pope Francis. In this layer conversion/education does not mean the same as the reason thinking process, but a shift in the way we live and see reality. This multi-layered approach is needed to address these urgent and complex issues we face in the times we live in; our home is on fire. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss a shift in how we perceive local matters on a global scale and vice-versa, as well as the necessity to analyse ecological issues in layers to understand why and how we can solve the problems that now threaten our lives.