Illustration by Axelle Van Wynsberghe

Building the Symbiocene: Fostering Imagination for a more Sustainable World

Sofia Tapaninen

Abstract

Beyond politics and technology, there exists deeper narratives and cultural conditions that have brought our world out of balance.

Drawing on insights from a summer school for sustainability in Gothenburg, this article argues that imagination plays a crucial part in reshaping our understanding of the climate crisis and navigating towards a more just and sustainable world.  

Presented in two principles: ‘The Work of Justice’ and ‘Recognizing a Web of Relations’, the article counters the current separation and economic value-based narrative and calls for finding ways to recognize the intrinsic value of both humans and nature in an interconnected web of life. We must exit the Anthropocene – an epoch defined by environmental crisis – and start building the Symbiocene: a ‘more-than-human’ approach to a more sustainable and just future.

AnthroArt Podcast

Sofia Tapaninen

Author / Voice

Sofia Tapaninen is a Finnish-Romani artist and anthropologist. Sofia received her BA in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Amsterdam and is currently pursuing a research master’s in International Development Studies. With a background in performing arts, Sofia is fascinated by the power of storytelling and creative expression as conduits for change and healing. In Finland, she worked in a multicultural theatre company Zirikli, which uses performance to foster dialogue and drive both personal and societal transformation. At the heart of her approach is a relational and decolonial emphasis on redefining what it means to be human and working towards a more just and sustainable world. In Amsterdam, Sofia continues to nourish her creative side as a salsa dancer and instructor.

Axelle Van Wynsberghe

Illustrator

Axelle Van Wynsberghe (@restons_petits) is social anthropologist and illustrator interested in cultural heritage, digital culture and the visual. She currently works as digital content manager for the European Green Party and runs the European Association of Social Anthropology (EASA)’s Art and Anthropology club as part of the Applied Anthropology Network. She was previously a freelance researcher and curator in the Netherlands and Belgium and has worked with the Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (DiEM25), the European Commission’s Joint Research Center, and various art organisations on citizen engagement projects concerning digital technologies and society. She has co-curated the HELLO WORLD! Exhibition (2018) and the MY BODY MY CHOICE Exhibition (2022). She received her BA in Cultural Studies & Social Anthropology at the University of Kent, as well as an MA in Arts & Society at Utrecht University.

Let us begin with a story. A story about our world that uses imagination to reframe reality.

Once upon a time, on a planet called Gaia, a looming storm threatened life as Gaia had known for 12,000 years. Gaia’s beloved children, the Anthropos, had been corrupted by the powers of Greed and Ignorance. By forgetting their place in the Web of Life, the Anthropos had disrupted the balance that sustained life on Gaia. Divided amongst themselves, some Anthropos sought to rule over others in short-sighted victory, while those less fortunate were forced to suffer the consequences. Most found themselves in the grey area of complexity, unsure how to navigate the rules set out and at play. The Anthropos not only ruled unjustly over one another but had also grown indifferent to their siblings; Flora and Fauna. Prophets among them, had tried to warn against this direction of destruction. ‘Remember the sacred balance, the path of co-creation with Flora and Fauna, and our love for Gaia as the compass’, they called. But their voices were drowned out by the ruling of twisted ambitions. ‘What to do,’ cried Gaia, ‘when faced with an incoming storm and already surrounded by its thunder?’ 

About four years ago, I was on the website of Earthrise Studio, a platform for creative climate activism, founded by Alice Aedy, Jack Harries, and Finn Harries. While reading, I was captivated by a phrase: ‘We tell stories to transform climate, culture, and consciousness. Stories for a new world, that turn radical imagination into reality.’ With each passing minute, the quote sank deeper into me, like a seed taking root in the soil of my being. I realized that there were others who recognized the power of storytelling and imagination in fostering change for a more sustainable world. I had grown up, much like other young adults around me, in a world alarmed by climate change. News, social media, and school constantly reminded us of this planet-threatening crisis, that was somehow looming, and already here. The effects were already visible as extreme weather events, alarming levels of pollution, and rapid loss of biodiversity. Simultaneously, there was a scientific promise that a complete climate collapse was ahead if humanity did not change its course and fast. The required actions I kept hearing were often focused on three things: political treaties on cutting fossil fuels, technological innovation on renewable energy, and changing the ways we consume – such as fast fashion and disposable plastics. Although these are all important, I was compelled by what were the deeper narratives and cultural conditions that had brought the world out of balance. For anthropology, stories are a fundamental window to culture. Studying stories serves as an insight into values, worldviews, and life lessons in their broader context. People’s understanding of the world shapes the stories we tell, and in turn, gets shaped by them. As the Earthrise quote read, to tell stories for a new world, transforming climate, culture, and consciousness goes hand in hand. I came to believe that in addition to the political and technological answers to the climate crisis, there is an urgent need to change the stories we tell about our world and the human relationship with the environment. 

In June 2024, I joined a Summer School for Sustainability hosted by the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. In this summer school, 155 students from all over the world united by shared concerns about the future of our planet, came together for a month of learning, discussing, and tackling questions around the climate crisis. The climate crisis is the urgent global threat of (anthropogenic) human-driven climate change, based on unsustainable ways of living. Unsustainable means ways that deplete life. Currently, unsustainable practices in energy production, land use, agriculture, and industrial activity are harming the environment leading to long-term damage. In contrast, sustainability means fostering practices and ways of living that can be maintained without causing exhaustion or imbalance in the long run. Sustainable means ways that sustain life. While participating, I was curious to know how this international cohort of engaged individuals viewed the role of imagination in navigating the climate crisis. Ever since my encounter with the quote by Earthrise, I have remained intrigued by the role of imagination and storytelling in building a more sustainable world. After taking part in the program, and interviewing students, staff, organizers, and professors I came to see that people not only shared my belief in the importance of imagination but saw it as a crucial building block in building a more sustainable world. In this article, I wish to share these insights with you. From a collection of interviews, I identified two principles proposed by summer school attendees for cultivating ‘sustainable imagination’.

The first principle considers the work of justice. The climate crisis is a symptom of unjust ways of living. The work of justice always includes the work of imagination, as imagination allows us to see different ways the world could be. Therefore, in our pursuit of a more sustainable world, we must also reflect on what is needed for a just world – both among humans and humanity’s relationship with the environment.

The second principle advocates for recognizing a web of relations. Every ecosystem is based on interconnectedness. Climate science teaches us that the planet works as an interconnected system. Different ecosystems and planetary spheres (atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and so on) are like different organs in the Earth as a body. Failure of one organ affects the whole body. If human activity is bringing the whole system out of balance, we’re part of the system, not separate from it. Sustainable imagination means imagining/seeing the world as a web of relations, where individual, social, and environmental acts of care and sustainability are constantly intertwined and mutually reinforcing.

The Work of Justice Always Includes the Work of Imagination

One course in the summer school approached sustainability through justice. The climate crisis is a symptom of deeply unjust ways of living. In context to global power relations, the Global North continues to be the biggest polluter, yet the South is already experiencing the biggest impacts, which is also called ‘The Great Inequality’ of our times. When resources are distributed unequally, either within or between countries, or when our actions compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs, we are talking about justice. Justice also motivates us towards a more sustainable world. Contemporary movies are one site of popular storytelling where contemplation on the connection between justice and the climate crisis is taking place. Hollywood dystopias, such as The Hunger Games (2012-2015) or Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), envision post-apocalyptic worlds defined by deep injustice and societal collapse. Societies built on barren land and striking inequality, that fosters a culture of ‘every man for himself’, serve as stark warnings for moral and environmental decay. Alternatively, utopian imaginations such as Wakanda in Marvel’s Black Panther (2018) or Avatar’s Pandora (2009) bring alive worlds shaped by sustainability, essential connection with nature, and ethical governance. These visions offer blueprints for a more ideal world – societies founded on equality and respect for nature. Both dystopias and utopias are powerful forms of storytelling that ignite and shape our collective imagination, presenting contrasts between futures defined by justice and those marked by injustice. 

Unsustainable ways of living are inherently unjust ways of living. Within the global power relations affluent countries are living off of the exploitation of poorer countries. There is evident injustice in the way resources are being used and distributed around the world. Nevertheless, the summer school participants saw that there’s another ongoing level of injustice: reducing nature from a living organism to a mere resource. Nature is systematically stripped of its status as a source of wonder and a vital part of an interconnected system sustaining life on Earth, and instead reduced to a mere collection of exploitable resources, valued primarily for their economic utility. 

Prevalent Western models of development have long been centred on economic growth that uses nature as a resource. An ideology of infinite growth on a finite planet is inherently mad, yet it also has a powerful underlying cultural narrative. In this system of exploitation and growth, nature is structurally reduced from a place of wonder and beauty to a mere commodity. Nature is treated as a ‘means to an end’ rather than a home, something intrinsic in value. Participants observed that in this system obsessed with productivity and economic growth, both humans and nature are diminished from beings of intrinsic value to capital. Bluntly, human worth is measured by the level of productivity. Nature’s worth is measured by the market value of raw materials. Participants felt that a culture that strips humans and nature of their status as wonderous parts of an interconnected ‘web of life’ into resources, is injustice. A pursuit for profit overshadows a strive for the comprehensive well-being of both humans and the planet. The main measurement for meaning has become money. Participants saw that imagination is vital for envisioning ‘different ways the world could be’. While utopias and dystopias use imagination to help distinguish our hopes and fears, they push an extreme, binary vision of what the world can look like. As the climate crisis develops, the realities we will face likely fall somewhere in between these extremes. While there will be incredible loss, it doesn’t mean we are doomed for apocalyptic ruin. Participants emphasized that rather than panicking for an apocalyptic end or dreaming of a flawless utopia, we have the power to influence how the constantly evolving grey area in between unfolds. Sustainable imagination requires envisioning different ways the world could be based on a more just way of being in the world – ways that honour the intrinsic value of both humans and the environment. 

Recognizing a Web of Relations

Multispecies anthropology is a subfield of anthropology that examines the intricate relationships between humans and other species, exploring how these interactions shape cultures, societies, and environments in profound ways. When I learned about this field during my studies, I became very interested in it as a way to think about the climate from a ‘more-than-human’ perspective. On my quest to ‘imagine different ways the world could be’, I attended an event by environmental philosopher Glenn Albrecht. Albrecht’s message is that humanity needs to exit the Anthropocene as soon as possible and enter the Symbiocene. The term ‘Anthropocene’ has gained traction alongside the rising awareness of the climate crisis. Science tells us that the stable Holocene epoch, which spanned the last 12,000 years, has given way to a new era of profound ecological instability. The Anthropocene signifies this new geological epoch in which human activity (anthropos, Greek for ‘human’) has emerged as the most dominant force shaping the entire Earth. Albrecht views the Anthropocene, following a climate crisis, as the product of an unjust model of conquest rooted in a misguided belief of humanity’s separation from the natural world and one another. The climate crisis is the symptom of an unsustainable system of thought and action. ‘The Symbiocene’ signifies an alternative operating principle based on interconnectedness. The idea comes from the term ‘symbiosis’ which signifies a mutually dependent relationship between different organisms. Humans must recognize their place in a system of symbiotic relations with other organisms and the Earth as a whole. 

In reimagining humanity’s relationship with nature, we must first reimagine nature. Let’s take trees as an example. Building on ecological discoveries and Indigenous wisdom, plant science reveals that trees not only form symbiotic relationships with fungi but also actively collaborate with one another, creating complex networks of support and communication. Ecologist Suzanne Simard teaches how ‘mother trees’ who serve as vital ecosystem regulators, communicate with their kin and nurture future generations by sharing resources and enhancing the growth of the entire forest. Injured trees pass their information to their neighbours, shaping defence chemistry and resilience in the forest community. These findings represent a shift from viewing trees as solitary competitors to members of a connected, communicating network – deeply intertwined with one another and the broader forest ecosystem. Symbiosis, a key concept in ecology and evolution, emphasizes the interconnectedness of life and the balance within ecosystems. In evolutionary thinking, competition and symbiosis are both key mechanisms that drive the survival and adaptation of species. In the Anthropocene, we have neglected symbiosis altogether, blindly driving on with competition. Symbiosis also implies ‘homeostasis’, which signifies a harmonious balance of interests where blatant domination of one species or element over others would disrupt the system, ultimately leading to its failure. Albrecht views the climate crisis explicitly as this kind of ‘functional failure’. Human activity has disrupted the homeostasis of the Earth with its blatant domination, leading to a system collapse. The Symbiocene is a call to build societies based on the interconnectedness of all life, urging humans to restructure social and economic systems to align with their role as part of the ‘web of life’ or the wider Earth system. 

The thoughts of summer school participants echoed Albrecht’s message. They saw that we urgently need to move away from dominance-based ways of viewing the world and our place in it, to a more interconnected one. They saw that transitioning from the Anthropocene to something like a Symbiocene is both a visionary and structural task. If, as Albrecht argues, our current ‘functional failure’ stems from living in domination and disconnection, we must cultivate ways of seeing and being that foster cooperation and interconnectedness. This interconnectedness recognizes the web of relations that sustain life – our connections with ourselves, with other humans, with the environment, and with the rest of life. We are not isolated entities. Our identities and well-being are in constant conversation with the world around us. To restore both human life and nature from mere resources in a competition-based capitalist market to symbiotic beings of intrinsic value, we must cultivate ways of seeing and treating ourselves, each other, and nature with this respect. Several students participating in different climate activist groups reported high levels of burnout. They pointed out a rough learning curve in realizing that working towards a more sustainable world, must also include taking care of sustaining oneself. Sustainable imagination sees the world as a web of relations, where personal, social, and environmental acts of care and sustainability are constantly intertwined and mutually reinforcing. Sometimes working for a more sustainable world means fighting for the environment such as in the form of climate activism. Other times, it means helping a fellow human being in need – recognizing their well-being as interconnected with yours. Sometimes, it means simply resting to honour sustaining ourselves. A more sustainable world isn’t built in one specific form but through a web of relations, where all small and big acts of care matter.  

Final thoughts

We must choose wisely the stories we tell, about our own lives and the world. Sustainable imagination encourages us to tell stories that reframe our current reality and help us envision other ways the world could be. As we shape stories, the stories shape us. This article began with a short story I narrated to frame our planetary climate crisis ridden reality. In this story, I view our planet as a living organism, ‘Gaia,’ whose flourishing our flourishing is bound up. Humanity (anthropos) is interconnected with the plant and animal kingdoms (flora and fauna), and our actions affect the entire ‘web of life’. The stable Holocene epoch ‘Gaia has known for 12,000 years’ is being threatened by a ‘storm’ – the climate crisis. The story speaks of unjust power relations among ‘the Anthropos’, and the ‘twisted ambitions’ that continue to exacerbate the crisis, driven by economic greed and ignorance of the inherent value of beings in an interdependent system. ‘Prophets’ in other words fortune tellers or the wise ones, can be read as both scientists and those cultures – such as various Indigenous peoples who have long warned humanity of these unsustainable ways of living. The question remains, what to do with a storm that is both already here and increasingly approaching? The summer school participants could conclude that you do your best to face the crisis at hand, learn from it, and dare to imagine different ways the world could be. You tell ‘stories for a new world’ and do little or big actions ‘that turn radical (re)imagination into reality’. One participant said that imagination is like a parachute, without it you would just fall. 

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