Modern society’s rush to address the climate crisis has led to an oversimplified approach to environmental problems, particularly evident in the urban context. This article argues that the reductionist tendency to seek quick technological fixes – exemplified by the uncritical embrace of renewable energy transition – obscures the complex interplay between urban development, ecological systems, and social justice.

Drawing on Marx’s concept of alienation and Guattari’s three ecologies, the analysis demonstrates how urban dwellers’ disconnection from natural processes fundamentally shapes their understanding of environmental challenges. This alienation manifests in the paradoxical situation where city residents advocate for ‘green’ technologies while remaining largely unaware of these solutions’ environmental and social costs, from rare earth mining to ecosystem destruction.

Through examination of contemporary examples, including Amazon Prime’s ‘The Rig’ and Amsterdam’s Doughnut Economy model, the article reveals how simplified environmental narratives can lead to unexpected ecological catastrophes. The analysis extends to legal frameworks, arguing that concepts like Lex Naturalis and climate justice must be reimagined to address the complex reality of human-nature relations in urban settings.

The paper concludes by proposing a holistic framework that embraces complexity rather than avoiding it. This approach recognizes that meaningful solutions to the climate crisis require fundamental transformations in urban life, legal systems, and social relations, moving beyond the false promise of simple technological fixes.

The False Promise of Simple Solutions: Urban-Nature Relations in the Climate Crisis

The rupture in modern society’s relationship with nature manifests not merely as a technological crisis, but as a complex intersection of philosophical, legal, and social challenges. This article argues that the greatest obstacle to addressing the climate crisis lies in our tendency to oversimplify problems and seek fragmented solutions. Through a broad perspective spanning from urban alienation to the instrumentalization of environmental struggles, it examines the necessity of a holistic approach, while neither ignoring the dark side of green transition nor abandoning the search for solutions.

Green Solution Myths: Simple Fallacies, Complex Realities

Our justified anxiety in the face of climate crisis and our hurried search for solutions drive us toward simple and quick fixes. While the approach of “let’s switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy and solve the problem” may sound reasonable, it dangerously oversimplifies a complex reality. This tendency toward simplification is dramatically illustrated in the second season of Amazon Prime’s “The Rig“: the extraction of rare metals from deep seas for renewable energy transition leads to an unexpected ecological catastrophe. This fictional scenario serves as a disturbing reflection of our present reality.

The tendency to simplify the complexity of the climate crisis represents a general characteristic of modern society. Social theorists, particularly those of the Frankfurt School, have long criticized modernity’s inclination to reduce nature to something “calculable” and “controllable.” This reductionist approach, by simplifying complex ecological systems into basic cause-and-effect relationships, causes us to overlook deeper problems.

While acknowledging these critiques, we must not overlook the undeniable achievements of renewable energy technologies as fundamental building blocks of environmental sustainability. Renewable energy sources play an indisputable role in combating climate change. Their potential for reducing carbon emissions, ensuring energy independence, and supporting economic development through innovative technologies represents just a few of their critical contributions to modern energy transition.

Recent years have seen rapid cost reductions in solar and wind energy, making renewable energy projects more accessible and enabling significant developments even in regions previously lacking energy access. For instance, by 2022, the renewable energy sector employed 12.7 million people worldwide. Moreover, when properly managed, renewable energy projects can provide additional benefits such as environmental restoration and enhanced biodiversity.

While these successes demonstrate that renewable energy technologies are not merely one solution but a cornerstone of a more sustainable future, they shouldn’t prevent us from asking essential questions: What criteria do we consider when labeling an energy source or technology as “green?” Might the solutions we develop to prevent fossil fuel pollution create different forms of environmental damage?

These questions point to the paradox extensively explored in Guillaume Pitron’s book “The Rare Metals War.” The complexity of this paradox becomes particularly evident when we examine modern urban life and its relationship with ecological alienation.

Modern Life and Ecological Alienation

Karl Marx’s concept of alienation describes humanity’s estrangement from its labor, production processes, and nature. In contemporary urban life, this alienation profoundly affects our approach to environmental problems.

As Georg Simmel emphasized in his analysis of metropolitan life, modern urban dwellers become increasingly detached from natural processes, adapting to an artificial environment. This disconnection emerges as both a cause and consequence of the ecological crisis.

Today, with the majority of the world’s population living in urban areas, humanity’s relationship with nature has undergone a fundamental transformation. Herbert Marcuse’s concept of “one-dimensional man” finds its full expression in modern consumers who, embedded within consumer society, have become profoundly disconnected from natural processes. This disconnection shapes our approach to green technologies: urban residents who advocate for electric vehicles often remain blind to or willfully ignore the environmental devastation caused by lithium mining required for their batteries.

Overcoming Alienation: A Theoretical Framework

To understand and transcend the ecological alienation created by modern urban life, we must integrate various theoretical approaches. Murray Bookchin‘s social ecology theory emphasizes that environmental problems originate in social hierarchies and relations of domination. From this perspective, overcoming urban alienation requires first transforming our social relationships.

Felix Guattari‘s concept of “three ecologies” offers additional guidance. For Guattari, the ecological crisis manifests not only as environmental but also as social and mental crises. Therefore, any solution must address these three dimensions – environmental, social, and subjective – simultaneously. In terms of urban life, this approach demands not only the transformation of physical spaces but also the reimagining of social relationships and individual life practices.

David Harvey’s concept of “right to the city” points to the political dimension of this transformation. The right of urban residents to shape their living spaces represents a crucial aspect of overcoming ecological alienation. This right encompasses not merely having a voice in existing urban structures but also the authority to redefine the city’s relationship with nature.

This theoretical framework demonstrates that green transition represents not merely a technical issue but a project of social transformation. The problems encountered in extracting and processing rare metals are not simply technological challenges but social and political issues. Consequently, solutions must incorporate these multiple dimensions through a holistic approach.

Natural Law and Climate Justice: A New Paradigm

To transcend modern society’s relationship of domination over nature, we must reimagine our legal systems. While Marx’s concept of alienation and Bookchin’s social ecology theory provide the theoretical foundations for this reimagining, the concept of Lex Naturalis (Natural Law) offers practical guidance. This concept expresses humanity’s universal rights and obligations derived from nature, while Iustitia Climática (Climate Justice) provides its contemporary interpretation.

Natural law rests on the premise that humans must live in harmony with nature. Modern society, however, has largely ignored this fundamental principle, viewing nature merely as a resource to be exploited. This understanding, which parallels Guattari’s three ecologies approach, requires recognizing nature not just as a resource but as a subject of rights. The recognition of New Zealand’s Whanganui River as a legal entity and Ecuador’s constitutional protection of nature exemplify this approach in practice.

The concept of climate justice constitutes the social dimension of this legal transformation. As dramatically illustrated in “The Rig,” steps taken to address the climate crisis often create new injustices. While developed nations bear historic responsibility for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions, developing countries bear the heaviest burden of the crisis. The environmental devastation caused by extracting rare metals for green technologies represents a contemporary example of this injustice.

In this context, the “Polluter Pays Principle” emerges as a modern reflection of natural law. While this principle stipulates that those responsible for environmental damage should bear its costs, it represents a deeper ethical understanding: damage to nature constitutes not merely economic but social and ecological debt.

This legal and ethical framework necessitates rethinking global power relations. From the perspective of natural law and climate justice, the inequalities emerging from rare metal extraction and processing present not merely economic but ethical and legal challenges. The sacrifice of the Global South’s natural resources and ecosystems to meet developed nations’ “clean” energy needs violates fundamental principles of natural law. This reality compels us to examine the geopolitical dimensions of green transition more closely.

Geopolitical Power Relations and Ecological Justice

Modern society’s dominion over nature continues to deepen global inequalities. Bookchin’s analysis of social hierarchies manifests at the international scale: the sacrifice of the Global South’s natural resources and ecosystems for developed nations’ “clean” energy needs creates what we might call a “tragedy of the commons” (Tragoedia Res Communis).

The International Energy Agency‘s 2040 projections (42-fold increase in lithium demand, 25-fold in graphite, 21-fold in cobalt) indicate this relationship of domination will only intensify. Crucially, we must recognize these increases represent not merely technical calculations but societal choices.

Türkiye as a Local Case Study

Türkiye’s rare earth element reserves in Eskişehir Beylikova help us understand how these global dynamics manifest locally. The British Geological Survey’s analysis indicates only 0.2 to 2% of these reserves are processable. From Harvey’s right-to-city perspective, decisions about exploiting these reserves constitute not merely technical or economic matters but fundamentally political ones. The tension between local community interests, global market dynamics, and ecological protection creates a new arena for social negotiation.

Roadmap for Systemic Transformation

From the perspective of natural law and climate justice, circular economy emerges as a modern interpretation of the principle of “common property” (Res Communis Omnium). Its seven fundamental principles – sustainable sourcing, eco-design, ecological industry and regions, functional economy, responsible consumption, extended product life, and recycling – aim to rebuild society’s relationship with nature based on the concept of “shared living space.“

Amsterdam’s “doughnut economy” model exemplifies this new understanding. In alignment with the “right to city” concept, city residents participate not merely as consumers but as active shapers of the urban economy. This participatory approach reinterprets the concept of “Spirit of the City” (Genius Loci) in an ecological context.

The recently proposed “15-minute city” concept represents an urban-scale application of Guattari’s three ecologies approach. This model aims to transform physical space (environmental ecology), social relations (social ecology), and daily life practices (subjective ecology) simultaneously. Providing walking-distance access to basic needs both reduces carbon emissions and strengthens local community bonds.

For this transformation to succeed, simultaneous action must occur in three fundamental areas. First, legal and institutional arrangements: mechanisms supporting the “polluter pays” principle with deterrent sanctions while promoting positive change.

The precautionary principle must be strictly applied in high-risk areas, particularly deep-sea mining. To prevent the catastrophic scenario dramatically depicted in “The Rig” from becoming reality, a new International Maritime Authority encompassing all states and communities must be established.

Second, technological innovation represents a critical domain for transformation. Priority must be given to research developing alternatives to rare metals or reducing their use. While technologies that minimize critical mineral usage in wind turbines and solar panels show promise, their social and ecological impacts must undergo comprehensive assessment. This approach acknowledges that technological solutions alone cannot address the fundamental challenges we face.

Third, and perhaps most crucial, education and social awareness demand attention. Ecological literacy programs in schools, urban gardens, and permaculture practices can strengthen and rebuild new generations’ relationship with nature. This requires developing transparent and participatory mechanisms ensuring active citizen involvement in decision-making processes.

Towards a Holistic Approach

The principle that everything interconnects (Universitas Rerum) guides us in solving ecological problems. All practical proposals can function only as parts of a coherent and holistic approach. This understanding aligns with the principle that “the whole exceeds the sum of its parts.”

The transformation across different urban life layers exemplifies this holistic approach. When planning to meet a city’s electricity needs through solar energy, we must consider not only carbon emission reductions but also evaluate rare metal supply chains, environmental impacts, and waste management from the perspective of “nature’s totality” (Natura Totalis).

However, significant obstacles confront this holistic approach in today’s world. The increasingly polarized structure of global politics, the rise of identity politics, and the division of societies into “us” and “them” weaken our capacity to develop common solutions to shared problems.

This fragmentation has led to the most dangerous instrumentalization of environmental struggles. A striking manifestation of this occurs when political representatives who advocate “freedom struggles” involving forest destruction paradoxically identify themselves as “ecologists,” while environmental concerns become rhetorical tools serving narrow group interests. This “greenwashing” undermines the legitimacy of environmental movements and erodes the foundation of social trust.

This contradiction manifests globally. The European Union’s Green Taxonomy framework illustrates how environmental and social impacts within renewable energy project supply chains often face neglect. The “principle of good faith” (Bona Fides) becomes overshadowed by strategic and economic interests. Particularly, the environmental devastation and human rights violations occurring during rare metal extraction and processing cast doubt on the sincerity of green policies.

Urban transformation across different layers seeks ways to overcome these contradictions. Planning a city’s solar energy transition requires holistic evaluation encompassing the entire lifecycle. This approach necessitates active citizen participation for the “common good” (Bonum Commune) and transparent decision-making mechanisms.

Conclusion: A Holistic Vision in a Fragmented World

The principle that “law emerges from facts” holds more meaning today than ever before. The complexity of the climate crisis and the deepening social fragmentation compel us to seek a new synthesis. While the inadequacy of simple solutions is now evident, more crucially, we must overcome the erosion of trust created by disingenuous green policies and instrumentalized environmental struggles.

At this juncture, “nature’s truths” (Veritas Naturae) offer common ground transcending the artificial divisions of identity politics. Overcoming the alienation created by modern urban life represents not merely a technical challenge but an opportunity to repair fragmented social fabric through the “art of living in harmony with nature.” Viewing cities as “living organisms” (Corpus Vivens) requires a collective consciousness that transcends narrow group interests.

Change won’t come easily, especially in an era where environmental struggles are hollowed out, universal values are instrumentalized, and global climate negotiations have devolved into mere “ritual promises.” Indeed, the impasse in global climate negotiations exposes the system’s fundamental contradictions. COP meetings increasingly become exercises in “promise-making ritual” where commitments go unfulfilled and targets face constant postponement.

Meanwhile, from Gaza to Yemen, Ukraine to Sudan, nature suffers irreversible wounds under the destructive power of modern warfare technologies.

Even more concerning is global elites’ growing orientation toward a “selected salvation” strategy. From Mars colony fantasies to climate disaster-proof luxury bunkers, from AI-supported living spaces to private island communities, these “new Noah’s Ark” projects represent nothing less than attempts to fragment humanity’s shared destiny.

However, at this critical juncture, the principle that “necessity births virtue” might guide us. This moment of crisis offers an opportunity to rethink the essence of environmental struggle, address its social and ecological dimensions holistically, and establish Ecocide as a binding norm, elevating environmental protection from rhetoric to action. We must acknowledge the contradictions and challenges facing the environmental movement while maintaining a vision that transcends these difficulties.

Initiatives developing worldwide demonstrate that “change for the better” remains possible. While transformation requires a vision transcending the narrow confines of identity politics – one that embraces ecological balance, economic prosperity, and social justice within “life’s wholeness” – it also invites us not only to remember our place as part of nature but to engage in a sincere and holistic struggle for our common future.

 

Key Concepts

Doughnut Economy A model developed by economist Kate Raworth that demonstrates how economic activities can be made sustainable while meeting social needs without exceeding planetary ecological boundaries. The doughnut shape provides a visualization where the inner ring represents basic human needs (education, health, housing) and the outer ring represents planetary boundaries (climate change, biodiversity loss). (Source: Raworth, K. (2017). Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist.)

The 15-Minute City Concept An urban planning approach popularized by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo that envisions a city where all residents can access their basic needs (work, education, healthcare, shopping, entertainment) within a 15-minute walk or bike ride. The concept aims to reduce carbon emissions while strengthening local communities. (Source: Moreno, C. (2020). The 15-Minute City: A New Urban Planning Model.)

Polluter Pays Principle An environmental policy principle stipulating that parties responsible for environmental damage must bear its costs. First adopted at the 1972 Stockholm Environmental Conference and later elaborated by the OECD, this principle aims to create economic incentives for environmental protection while deterring harmful practices. (Source: OECD (1972). Recommendation on Guiding Principles Concerning International Economic Aspects of Environmental Policies.)

Circular Economy An economic system designed in opposition to the current linear (take-make-dispose) production-consumption model, aiming for resource reuse, recycling, and zero-waste production processes. This model seeks to minimize resource waste while promoting economic growth. (Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2013). Towards the Circular Economy.)

Guattari’s Three Ecologies Felix Guattari’s concept proposing the inseparable interconnection of environmental, social, and mental processes. According to Guattari, ecological crises reflect not only environmental issues but also crises in social hierarchies and individual consciousness, thus requiring a holistic solution approach. (Source: Guattari, F. (1989). The Three Ecologies.)

The Whanganui River, New Zealand Became the world’s first river to gain legal personhood in 2017. This landmark decision recognizes and protects the local Maori people’s cultural and spiritual connections with the river. The river can now claim legal rights through appointed representatives. (Source: Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Act 2017.)