Een Eco-catastrofisch Tijdperk

The concept of sustainability is often construed as embodying permanence, balance, stability, renewability and infinity. It serves as the cornerstone of the contemporary discourse surrounding the 'green' economy which envisions a circular economic model devoid of waste, degradation, and environmental harm. However, drawing upon Lisa Doelands work Apocalypsophy (2023), I will argue that this ideal is inherently deceptive. Despite temporal periods of stability and harmony, all aspects of existence are ultimately subject to decay, erosion, and eventual destruction. A cradle-to-cradle approach cannot fully circumvent the cradle-to-grave reality. Secondly, I posit that this becomes clear when we shift our attention to ourselves. In being-towards-death we are fundamentally unsustainable. However, by idealizing a ‘forever young’- culture and neglecting the inevitability and continuous presence of impermanence, decline, anility and mortality, we still persist in supressing our finitude. It is argued that we have to keep this reality of unsustainability in mind in order to cultivate a more genuine relationship with the world and ourselves.