3. Ecological Civilisation

Ecological Civilisation will be as significant and revolutionary to the lives of the people of Yorkshire as the Industrial Revolution 250 years ago. The difference is that the Industrial Revolution marked when the rot started to set in. The shift towards an Ecological Civilisation will mark the end of that rot and be a time of regeneration. It won’t be possible to reverse much of the damage done by our dirty industries, but life will at least still exist, be safer, more pleasant and comfortable than if we carried on as we are.

It's getting worse

According to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, things are worsening. Industrialised farming and inappropriate land management practices are among the leading causes of wildlife decline and river pollution. Sewage and agricultural chemicals have caused water pollution beyond legal limits, affecting everything downstream, including the North Sea. Our rivers are no longer suitable homes for wildlife; they are not fit for people to swim in, and thanks to climate change and growing demand, we are seeing water availability decrease before our very eyes.

Transforming Yorkshire

The core principles of what needs to happen are already laid out in the Earth Charter—an ethical framework launched in The Hague in 2000 and endorsed by more than 50,000 organisations and individuals worldwide.

In 2015, Pope Francis shook the Catholic establishment by issuing his encyclical, Laudato Si’, a masterpiece of ecological philosophy that demonstrates the deep interconnectedness of all life and calls for a rejection of the individualist, neoliberal ethic.

Doughnut Economics, a model proposed by Cambridge Economics Professor Kate Raworth, aligns with this vision by reimagining economic success.

The model visualises two concentric rings: the inner ring represents the social foundation, which includes essentials like healthcare and education, while the outer ring represents the ecological ceiling, which provides for planetary boundaries like climate stability and biodiversity. The “safe and just space for humanity”—a regenerative and distributive economy—lies in the doughnut’s sweet spot, where everyone’s needs can be met without exceeding ecological limits.

Various initiatives based on Professor Raworth’s model are already being implemented in parts of North Yorkshire to improve access to affordable housing, healthcare, and education while minimising the environmental impact.

Constitutional Change

Thanks to a recent Citizens’ Assembly, Ireland is close to becoming the first country in the EU to enshrine the rights of nature into its constitution. The United Kingdom, if not Yorkshire, should follow Ireland’s example.

Several other countries outside the EU have already recognised the rights of nature in various forms. These include Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Bangladesh, Mexico, and even the United States, where several Tribal Nations and local communities have recognised nature’s inherent rights.