Thinking Like Losers: Failing and Mourning as Lost Dimensions of Environmentalism

Skrimshire, Stefan

doi:10.5840/envirophil202577148

Environmental Philosophy

Volume 22, Issue 1, Spring 2025

Stefan Skrimshire

Pages 27-44

https://doi.org/10.5840/envirophil202577148

Thinking Like Losers
Failing and Mourning as Lost Dimensions of Environmentalism

For environmental thinkers of different stripes—from techno-scientific ‘eco-pragmatists’ to climate activists—the concept of human failure—whether psychological, moral, or spiritual—is at odds with the language of hope needed to generate meaningful action. As Clingerman’s work on geo-engineering attests, failing to adequately meet the challenge of climate and ecological crisis is frequently expressed as a state to be overcome, through divine or human techno-scientific intervention. Against such a view, I want to propose failure as generative of environmental ethical thinking, particularly in times of mass extinction and irrecoverable ecological devastation. I do this by linking failure with two concepts that have become important to environmental humanities scholars: first, the concept of mourning as an ethical disposition (via the philosophies of Benjamin, Freud, and Derrida) that can foster more just, compassionate and sustainable ways of living. Second, inviting further interaction with Clingerman’s work, I propose to link failure to the concept of environmental hermeneutics, by understanding language itself as a sign of human failure.

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? "Those scars," the Doctor answered, "are from the moxa, which is used to some extent in medical practice in Europe and America. Don't you remember that when your uncle Charles had a disease of the spine the doctors applied a hot iron to his back, along each side of the backbone?" A JAPANESE LOOM. A JAPANESE LOOM. MODE OF HOLDING THE TOW-ROPES. MODE OF HOLDING THE TOW-ROPES. "We had no trouble after that; but we only allowed fifty men on deck at one time, and those under a strong guard. You can be sure we were in a hurry to finish the voyage, which we did without accident. I had had all I wanted of the coolie-trade, and never went on another voyage like that." A stream of living fire, a ripple of all the colours of the rainbow. Balmayne shut the cases as if jealous of the eyes of the night. A true movement of carriages is dependent upon the amount or wearing power of their bearing surface, how this surface is disposed in reference to the strain to be resisted, and the conditions under which the sliding surfaces move; that is, how kept in contact. The cutting strain which is to be mainly considered, falls usually at an angle of thirty to forty degrees downward toward the front, from the centre of the lathe. To resist such strain a flat top shear presents no surface at right angles to the strain; the bearings are all oblique, and not only this, but all horizontal strain falls on one side of the shear only; for this reason, flat top shears have to be made much heavier than would be required if the sum of their cross section could be employed to resist transverse strain. This difficulty can, however, be mainly obviated by numerous cross girts, which will be found in most lathe frames having flat tops. Wildly, as those on the bridge came into clear view, Sandy, Larry, Dick and Jeff gesticulated, pointing astern. Bells were jangled, the yacht was sharply brought up by reversed propellers and a tender was swiftly being put down from its davits, an excited sailor working to start its engine, even as it was lowered. “Come on, everybody—spread out—” cried Jeff. “We’ll get that-there girl——” “It’s simple enough,” the youngest member of the Sky Patrol broke in. “They pour some of the lemonade into the compartments in the ice-trays and freeze that. It is better than plain ice because it doesn’t weaken the lemonade at all.” "Then," said the Reverend Taylor, laying down the paper, "you must be scared for yourself." ("I think 'mug' is the word they use for face in good society," mused Shorty, with the end of the penholder in his mouth. "At least I heard the Kurnel use it one day. She can't expect no man to be much gladder of anything than the comin' o' the Paymaster, and that orter please her.") Died and buried on Sunday; There was a silence. "He'll soon be able to do a bit of work wud us, Beatup," said Reuben apocalyptically.—"I'll have him on when he's ten or thereabouts, and at fifteen he'll be doing full man's work. I shouldn't wonder as how I'd never want another hand but you—we could manage the pl?ace, I reckon, till the lad's old enough, and then there'll be others...." HoME 重庆酱香坊京酱 ENTER NUMBET 0016www.hlyhyn.org.cn
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