ABSTRACT
Environmental humanities and ecomedia studies have made clear that any green turn requires a postcolonial critique of Modernity’s epistemology, which is at the root of the global ecological crisis. In order to decolonize for green media education, this chapter explores the Cartesian paradigm that emerged during Modernity, allowing us to address how our media and gadgets have emerged from a particular cosmology. It starts with the concept of a “cognitive history of humanity” to probe how language and worldviews are shaped by particular historical narratives and discursive metaphors. Next it critically evaluates the origin story of our environmental crisis, the Anthropocene, and its colonial origins. Evaluating the Anthropocene narrative reveals how the separation of Nature and Society is specifically tied to colonial practices meant to justify slavery, exploitation, and extraction. This process is contextualized through a discussion of how Cartesian duality and mechanism became the heart of our global system and how it is reflected in ICTs and media. In an effort to demonstrate an alternative cosmology to Modernity, the chapter closes with a discussion of indigenous ecocinema.
