As humanity faces the ecological crises of the Anthropocene, love emerges as a powerful political force, deeply entangled in collective struggles over the environment. This paper argues that love, far from being a purely private emotion, serves as a relational ethic that connects human and non-human actors, guiding collective action and resistance against environmental destruction. In the face of climate change and ecological collapse, love becomes a practice of care, responsibility, and solidarity that challenges the exploitative logics of neoliberal capitalism. Building on the works of Anna Tsing (2015) and Donna Haraway (2016), my contribution reframes love as a multispecies, interdependent practice that disrupts anthropocentric thinking. Tsing’s
The Mushroom at the End of the World and Haraway’s
Staying with the Trouble illustrate how love in the Anthropocene demands a recognition of the interconnections between humans, non-humans, and ecosystems. This relational approach fosters new forms of sociality and ethical responsibility that oppose the extractive practices of contemporary capitalism.
An example of this political dimension of love can be seen in the ongoing protests against the expansion of the Hambach Forest coal mine in Germany. Here, activists and local communities organized to protect one of Europe’s last ancient forests from destruction by the coal industry. Framing their actions as acts of love for the forest, the climate, and future generations, these activists built a long-standing movement of resistance. Their defence of the forest became a symbol of broader struggles against climate change and ecological degradation, showing how love can galvanize collective action for environmental justice.
References
Haraway, D. J. (2016). Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Tsing, A. L. (2015). The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
