Alongside the Extinction Rebellion movement we need an ‘Extantion Celebration’ movement.  ‘Extantion’ is an action that values the existence of life. That which is still in existence (extant) should be celebrated for its continued presence on this Earth. Yes, we should be rebelling against extinction, yet if people do not know what diversity of life is still present on Earth, they will not know what to rebel against.

Ecoliteracy, or what I prefer to call ‘sumbioliteracy’,  is paramount here and it goes beyond recognition of the obvious plight of, for example, Orangutans. Respect for living beings from the micro to the macro is a foundation for understanding what life is about. We share our life with trillions of other beneficial beings (bacteria, viruses and fungi) even within our own bodies, their life is also ours. Sumbioliteracy (sumbios = Ancient Greek for “living together”) is the knowledge needed by all to understand and appreciate how life works with life to further life.

At larger scales we are totally dependent on other life forms such as trees for our continued existence. Life is symbiotically interconnected and a shared property (the biocomunen) of all beings … even at a planetary level. We will fight to protect life, only when we know what it is. An extantion celebration will help arrest further extinction. It could also be pleasurable and fun! This is how we can create the Symbiocene.

Extantion: from ‘extant’ still existing, from the Latin exstans, and, exstare, to be in existence. The suffix ‘ion’ denotes an action or condition.

Image: A Rufous Whistler giving voice to its extantion.