Why saving languages is a form of environmentalism

Originally published in Manila Bulletin

We understand that when a species goes extinct, we lose a unique thread in the web of life. But we rarely feel the same urgency when a language disappears, even though the loss is just as profound and irreversible. This disconnect is a critical blind spot in our fight for a sustainable planet.

The crisis of language extinction is not separate from the ecological crisis; they are two sides of the same coin. To save the knowledge essential for protecting Earth’s biodiversity, we must first save the languages that hold it.

Languages are not just collections of words; they are complex, living systems of knowledge, refined over millennia of intimate interaction with a specific place. Each language contains a unique cultural encyclopedia of its environment.

The intricate vocabulary of an Indigenous language might distinguish between dozens of soil types, signal subtle shifts in the wind that foretell weather changes, or name plants with untapped medicinal properties. This is not abstract knowledge but a detailed, time-tested guide to local ecosystems and sustainable living practices. When a language dies, this entire library of practical wisdom—a cumulative intellectual achievement—vanishes with it. We are quite literally burning a priceless guidebook to resilience just when we need it most.

This loss has dire practical consequences for environmental conservation. Indigenous and local communities, who speak the majority of the world’s endangered languages, are the guardians of an estimated 80 percent of the planet's remaining biodiversity. Their languages encode the principles of stewardship that have maintained this balance for generations.

The fight against climate change and mass extinction requires every tool at our disposal, and the sophisticated, localized knowledge embedded in these languages is an invaluable asset. Dismissing language preservation as a cultural issue, distinct from environmental science, is a catastrophic error. It severs our access to proven models of living in harmony with nature.

Therefore, we must reframe linguistic diversity as a fundamental component of ecological resilience. Funding for linguistic documentation and revitalization should be integrated into environmental grants and climate strategy. This is not merely about recording vocabulary; it is about partnering with indigenous communities as essential knowledge-holders and supporting their right to maintain their languages and cultures. Their survival is inextricably linked to the health of the territories they have protected for centuries.

The call to action is clear. Environmentalists, policymakers, and conservation organizations must recognize that linguistic rights are environmental rights. Protecting a language is an act of ecosystem preservation. By investing in the communities who are the living custodians of this knowledge, we do more than honor cultural heritage—we secure a vital repository of wisdom for the monumental task of healing our planet. The fate of our natural world may well depend on the voices we choose to save.

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