The key themes of the ecosocial crisis that activism itself silences: diets, degrowth and demography, or the 3D puzzle of extinction

Abstract

This article addresses the prevailing confusion and misinformation surrounding the main responses to the ecosocial crisis. It presents a comparative literature review and draws conclusions about the three priority responses, which we call 3D: transition to plant-based diets, deep degrowth, and the demographic taboo of overpopulation—issues systematically excluded from current eco-socio-animal activism. Using anthropological and philosophical arguments, the article questions the predominance of anthropocentric and Eurocentric frameworks in mainstream activism and proposes a “degrowth continuum” that considers zero impact on the biosphere as a maximalist and realistic option. Finally, it briefly explains the reasons for the prevailing systemic double denial of these issues: explicit denial, based on misinformation disseminated by lobbyists, and implicit denial, imposed by widespread human supremacism and the unwillingness of people in wealthy countries to question their privileges and comforts. The set of proposals presented in this article, which focuses on correcting anthropocentric and Eurocentric biases in prevailing discourses within contemporary society and global activism, aims to offer critical intersectional tools to overcome disinformation and the biases of human supremacism, which are presented as a sine qua non for a livable future.