World Environment Day in the Anthropocene: Reclaiming Our Future through “The Earth First Paradigm”
Each year, as June 5th arrives, the world observes World Environment Day, a symbolic event meant to remind humanity of its responsibilities to Nature. We are past the era of awareness; we are now in the epoch of existential reckoning. As a student of environmental science deeply interested in both scientific understanding and philosophical reflection, I find myself compelled to speak with urgency. In this epoch of ecological breakdown, climate disruption, and biodiversity collapse collectively termed as the Anthropocene, World Environment Day (2025) must no longer be confined to ceremonial gestures or transient acts of greenwashing. Our biosphere is collapsing, not metaphorically, but measurably. And this year’s Environment Day should not be another ritual of recycled pledges but a catalyst for transformation in thought, behavior, action and policy imperatives. It must become a resounding call for a paradigm shift in our relationship with the Planet. The Anthropocene, the age of massive human dominance, has become a double-edged sword. Yes, we have decoded the genome, launched satellites, developed sophisticated technologies and military industrial complex, connected continents, and reasonably improved the quality of lives of global human population. But these same forces have fragmented global ecosystems, destabilized Earth’s climate systems, and unraveled the delicate web of life forged over billions of years. Today, we are witnessing, in real time, the sixth mass extinction, accelerating climate disruption, and the breakdown of keystone planetary systems (Amazon, Tropical Rainforest, Coral Reef etc.). The trajectory we are on is not just unsustainable, it is suicidal.
Human civilization has entered an unprecedented phase of planetary disequilibrium. The Anthropocene, defined by the overwhelming influence of human activity on Earth’s life-support systems, signals not only a geological threshold but a civilizational crisis. It compels us to confront a fundamental contradiction: the prevailing fossils fuel driven excessive growth-centric economic order that fuels ecological degradation under the guise of development and prosperity. In this light, the World Environment Day should not merely commemorate environmental concern but must catalyze a transformative mindset, an ethical, ecological, and systemic reorientation of how we inhabit this Earth. This is precisely the vision embedded in Ecosociocentrism: The Earth First Paradigm, an ontological and developmental framework that rejects anthropocentric dominance and embraces an ethical development that recognizes and promotes instrumental, relational and intrinsic values in the Earth system which form the basis for social and environmental sustainability. At its core, The Earth First Paradigm recognizes that the wellbeing of humanity is inextricably interwoven with the integrity of Earth’s ecosystems and biospheric boundaries. It upholds the Earth not as a resource to be exploited, but as a living, breathing system of which humanity is a dependent and morally accountable for its protection and preservation.
Unlike the flawed promises of “sustainable development” that often perpetuate exploitative patterns under a green facade, The Earth First Paradigm advances a post-growth, ecosociocentric ethic rooted in humility, interdependence, and planetary stewardship. It calls for a holistic revaluation of our political economy, technological choices, and cultural narratives moving away from excessive extractivism, consumerism, and human greedonomics. It urges us to imagine and construct a world anchored in ecological wisdom, solidarity with all life forms, and regenerative living systems.
Anthropocentric Fallacy and The Earth First Paradigm
All these crises share a common root: a flawed worldview. The prevailing economic model assumes the Earth is a warehouse of resources, existing to serve the human project. This anthropocentric arrogance is not only morally indefensible, but also ecologically fatal. The Earth is very much a living system of community. It is precisely this fallacy that we need to challenge through The Earth First Paradigm which I have described in my book Ecosociocentrism: The Earth First Paradigm for Sustainable Living. At the heart of this paradigm lies a new ontological and moral vision, a shift from human-centered to Earth-centered thinking. Ecosociocentrism recognizes that human well-being is inseparable from the health of the biosphere. It posits that society and economy must operate within the boundaries and integrity of ecological systems. We need to reverse the logic of civilization: the Earth is not part of the economy; the economy must be part of the Earth. The global political economy must align with the ecology of Nature which demands a regenerative circular economy rather than linear.
The Earth First Paradigm is not a slogan; it is a compass. It directs us toward a post-growth, post-exploitative economy rooted in sufficiency, restoration, and pragmatic environmental ethics. As an environmental scholar, I do not speak from abstraction. I speak from science, but also from conscience. And I appeal to you, scientists, scholars, policymakers, and practitioners—not merely to act, but to awaken. In this World Environment Day, let us not exchange empty rhetoric or symbolic hashtags. Let us forge a new covenant with the Earth. We are the last generation that can prevent irreversible collapse. But we can also be the first generation to seek a regenerative civilization.
On this Day, we must reaffirm that time is no longer a neutral variable. Tipping points are being crossed from Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) and Antarctic Ice melt, Ocean Acidification to the Sixth Mass Extinction. Humanity cannot afford such rapid acceleration of planetary breakdown. What is required is a leap of consciousness and a reimagining of civilization itself, a rebalancing of the human presence on Earth in line with natural limits, ecological reciprocity, and justice for both present and future generations. As Professor Noam Chomsky, a visionary thinker of our time, rightly warns us “We are racing to the precipice with eyes wide open. Climate change is not in the distant future; it is in the very near future. Humankind is facing a moment of existential crisis unparalleled in human history.” Let us unite in a collective vow to transition from the Anthropocene’s reckless trajectory to the emergent horizon of the Symbiocene, an era of mutual flourishing between humanity and the Earth community. Let this be our decade of reckoning. Let this be the day we say with courage and clarity: The Earth First Paradigm for Sustainable Living.
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Prof. Gopi Upreti
Noam Chomsky North Star Medal of Lifetime Achievement
Environmental and Climate Policy Laureate
Global STAR Scholars Network