Toward a Euro-Mediterranean Socioenvironmental Perspective: The Case for a Spanish Ecocriticism // Hacia una perspectiva socioecológica euro-mediterránea: El ejemplo de la ecocrítica española

This essay analyzes two ecological movements that emerged and developed in Southern European Mediterranean countries (France, Italy, and Spain) during the last couple of decades. Both the de-growth and the slow movement challenge the illogical logic of constant economic growth in the context of a limited biosphere and denounce the social and ecological degradation generated by global capitalism. Both articulate a redefinition of European environmentalism by opposing the environmental thinking of strong Euro-American tradition—very rooted in the official discourse of the European Union, such as the “gospel of eco-efficiency” (Martinez Alier 31)—that try to solve the ecological problems with the same logic that causes and perpetuates them (green capitalism, sustainable development). The de-growth and the slow movement propose instead sustainable, systemic alternatives which are socially and ecologically possible. These alternatives are based on conviviality, voluntary simplicity, slowness, and the reduction of the socioeconomic metabolism. They point out the necessity of an epistemological change and question the tyranny of industrial time (to augment constantly the production and consumption pace) to conclude that we can and need to live better with less, since it is more desirable, sustainable, and just. Since the 2008 financial crisis the de-growth and slow movement are acquiring certain popularity and visibility beyond their Euro-Mediterranean context, which makes them relevant actors on the global movement for environmental justice and the critique of global capitalism. Finally, this essay explores one of the many ways in which these Euro-Mediterranean socioenvironmental insights can be translated into ecocriticism in the specific case of recent Spanish novels. In the last decade, there have been a number of Spanish novels that use complex and sophisticated narrative strategies to focus on aspects related to neoliberal globalization. While some of them perpetuate the mainstream discourse of the European Union by privileging the uncritical celebration of digital culture, progress, and globalization, others challenge this by questioning our society’s blind faith in technological progress and economic growth—such texts advocate instead for a change of logic and lifestyle. The latter narratives seem to be more in-tune with the Euro-Mediterranean socioenvironmental movements mentioned previously and are therefore able to articulate a meaningful critique of the myths of progress, development, and economic growth by exposing the ecological and social degradation that is often generated by global capitalism. On the contrary, the kind of novel that reproduces mainstream European discourse—and, more importantly, the critics that celebrate it—tends to overtly and abundantly represent digital culture while failing to acknowledge its relation to the culture of new capitalism and its environmental and social impact. Resumen El presente ensayo analiza dos movimientos de raigambre ecologista que emergen y se desarrollan en las dos ultimas decadas en los paises mediterraneos del sur de Europa (Francia, Italia y Espana). Ambos, decrecimiento y movimiento lento, cuestionan la ilogica del crecimiento economico constante en el marco de una biosfera limitada y denuncian la degradacion ecologica y social generada por el capitalismo global. Tanto uno como otro suponen una redefinicion del ecologismo Europeo al oponerse a ciertos ecologismos de tradicion Euroamericana—muy arraigados en el discurso oficial de la Union Europea, como el “evangelio de la ecoeficiencia” (Martinez Alier 31)—sospechosos de querer solucionar el problema ecologico con la misma logica que lo genera y perpetua (desarrollo sostenible, capitalismo verde). El decrecimiento y el movimiento lento, en cambio, proponen alternativas sostenibles, sistemicas y viables economica y socialmente, basadas en la convivialidad, la simplicidad voluntaria, la desaceleracion, la descomplejizacion y la reduccion del metabolismo economico y social. Abogan, entonces, por un cambio de logica, epistemologico, y cuestionan la tirania del tiempo industrial (aumentar constantemente la velocidad de produccion y consumo) para concluir que se puede y se debe vivir mejor con menos por ser mas justo, deseable y sostenible. Desde la crisis financiera del 2008 el decrecimiento y el movimiento lento estan adquiriendo cierta popularidad y visibilidad mas alla del ambito euro-mediterraneo, lo que les transforma en actores relevantes en el movimiento global por la justicia ecologica y la critica altermundista al capitalismo global. En los ultimos anos se estan publicando numerosas novelas espanolas con estructuras narrativas complejas en las que el tema de la globalizacion esta muy presente. Algunas de estas novelas celebran la cultura digital y la globalizacion de manera acritica, coincidiendo con la corriente tecnofila hegemonica del discurso oficial europeo, mientras que otras cuestionan el modelo de crecimiento economico y la aceleracion industrial, siendo mas afines a las nuevas tendencias socioecologicas euro-mediterraneas. Son estas ultimas narraciones las que mejor articulan una critica coherente a la degradacion ecologica y social generada por el capitalismo global al deconstruir los mitos sobre crecimiento economico y progreso tecnologico. En cambio, el otro tipo de novelas suele perpetuar en su discurso la ilogica del crecimiento economico por ser incapaces de relacionar las conexiones entre la cultura digital, la degradacion ecologica y la logica del nuevo capitalismo.