José Lutzenberger predicted the current environmental crisis, reveals new book

Dedication to the protection and preservation of environment starring the agronomist, writer, philosopher and landscaper José Lutzenberger not only earned him several international recognitions (among which, the Alternative Nobel Prize) for his contribution to ecologybut it also gave him the title of one of the most renowned environmentalists in the country. However, there were those who considered him just an “ecochato” or a “prophet of the Apocalypse”, due to the blunt way in which he took a position on the issue. What the unbelievers did not expect is that all their warnings would become real facts.

To give light to the debate, at a time when climate change point to the urgent need to adopt sustainable practices, the journalist Lucia Brito organized and edited the book Lutz – José Lutzenberger’s vision and predictions (Almalinda Sonhos Editoriais, 160 pages), recently launched during the 18th Flivi – Viamão Literary Fair. The work that rescues the memory and legacy of the environmentalist was executive produced by the journalist José Barrionuevo.

Gathering 13 texts written by Lutz (as he was known) between 1972 and 1997, the publication addresses the preservation of Amazonthe question indigenousthe fires in Pantanalthe dangers of pesticidesthe causes of floodsand the advantages of ecological agricultureamong other topics. It also features Lúcia’s writing and presentation texts from journalists Eduardo Bueno – who lived with the environmentalist Associação Gaúcha for Protection of the Natural Environment (Agapan) and interviewed him several times – and Lilian Dreyer – Lutz’s biographer and editor –in addition to around a hundred images from the Itapuã State Parkcaptured by the photographer Daniel Marencosome of which are still accompanied by poetic interferences composed by the writer Paula Taitelbaum.

“The book is a tribute to Lutz, and came about because of climate tragedy that devastated Rio Grande do Sul in May this year, as he was already talking about these things”, says the organizer, “Barrionuevo came to me with this idea and I started researching the books authored by Lutzenberger. It’s impressive to realize that the things he wrote ago 50 years be so current“, highlights Lúcia, adding that her work involved minimal intervention in the original writings. “I edited the minimum necessary, sorting out specific things from the time, but I didn’t write or change the order.”

The organizer of the work explains that the choice of photos in the book (among which are images of the Itapuã Lighthouse, Lake Guaíba, Laguna dos Patos, dunes, fig trees, cacti, among others) is justified by the political struggle de Lutz (along with environmental entities), who in 1985 led a series of demonstrations to prevent the destruction of the Itapuã State Park, in the municipality of Viamão, which suffered from the disorderly (and largely illegal) occupation of its territory and the granite extraction pink carried out by quarries that took over the site at the time.

“In my text, I talk a little about the history (and about these granite formations) of Itapuã, which has hills, mountains, and boulders that almost went to ruin, with the quarry activities“, says the journalist. “Therefore, this photo essay signed by Marenco helps to show a beauty that was preserved thanks to the so-called ‘ecochatismo’ by Lutz, who made countless protests in place, including marking the stones with ‘x’ in red. It was his action that preserved this environmental jewel, this natural treasure which is the Itapuã State Park. Choosing to take these photos is also a way of honoring Lutz’s love and reverence for Gaiaremembering that our planet is a system that depends on everything that is in Earth: minerals, water, air and all living species.”

When evaluating that the environmentalist had a vision not only based on Science“with its pragmatic side”, but also poeticmaintaining that the human being should be Gaia’s “brain” and not “a cancer”, with its destructive actions, Lúcia highlights the importance of Lutz’s words about conscious consumption and sustainable development. “THE global warming shows that Gaia has a ‘fever’, because of our foolishness”, laments the journalist. “One thing he said is that there is a point of no return in this dynamic of devastation that has been occurring over the last 200 years: it will not be necessary to cut down the last tree in a forest for it to die, since man’s hand is destroying the ecosystem”, he points out. “He was a visionary who spoke of the difference between Science and technology, knowledge and wisdom: it is not enough to have knowledge if it is not used wisely .”

Critical of the production and consumption models of contemporary society, José Lutzenberger believed that transition for a sustainable society would only happen when the business community understood that it could work with nature instead of just exploring it. He explained the need to preserve the environment in language accessible to all audiences and exercised ecological activism, going beyond contestation and pointing out solutions. In 1971, Lutz founded Agapan, one of the first ecological associations in Brazil, which gained local, national and international recognition in numerous campaigns, achieving important achievements at a time when the environmentalism it was still an unknown cause for most people. Born in Porto Alegre, on December 17, 1926, “the prophet” of current climate change died on May 14, 2002.

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