From Joseph Ebi Kanjo, Benin

An environmental activist and Executive Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Dr. Nnimmo Bassey has advocated a harmonious living between humans and nature (environment).

Bassey spoke at his organization’s School of Ecology series on Ecological Justice and Resilience, ongoing in Benin, the Edo State capital.

Speaking on the top: ‘Environment and the Webs of Life,’ at the 5-day event, Bassey while stating the aims of the School of Ecology, said the idea that humans are superior to other creatures and that they can do anything to other creatures at their will was wrong.

“The School of Ecology aims to awaken us to the dangers of further disruption to the webs of life and the need for everyone to be an environmental defender if we must build resilience and ensure socioecological justice.

“The web of life is quite resilient, but persistent degrading actions by certain humans and corporations are testing that resilience to the limits,” he added.

The Executive Director, who described the environment (nature) as a source of knowledge and wisdom, said when one part of an ecosystem is destroyed, it impacts or destroys all the other parts, stressing that nothing exists in isolation of everything else.

He said: “Our environment is the source of our knowledge and wisdom. It gives us the strategic keys with which we navigate through life and beyond.”

He added: “Thus, the web of life is the interrelationships that hold everything together – something we often do not think about.”

Bassey, who condemned how humans pollute the environment with ignominy, said the idea that the environment will take care of itself when polluted was wrong.

“We consciously permitted pollution and contamination because we believe that nature will take care of itself. And so, we dump waste to rivers believing that rivers will heal themselves.

“We are saying it’s time to have a rethink in all these.

“It is time for humans to be more humble, and relate with the environment in a saner manner, knowing well that we have a duty of stewardship of care towards every other thing, because they are also taking care of us. If we don’t do that, we are reducing the possibility of us living well,” he added.