An Earth of One’s Own: Eco-cognizance and Environmental Justice

The book 'An Earth of One’s Own: Eco-cognizance and Environmental Justice' would take the reader into an ecocritical odyssey, a transformative journey through the myriad challenges plaguing the earth today, along with the desire for a fundamental shift in ways humans associate their relationship with multiple species of the earth. It proposes the idea of eco-cognizance of complex relationships among various species within the ecosystem and broaches the idea of interspecies justice, not merely as an ethical or legal framework, but as a holistic and organic paradigm taking into consideration ecological integrity, social integrity, and intergenerational responsibility.
Eco-cognizance entails recognizing the profound impact of our actions on the environment and acknowledging our responsibility to preserve and protect it for future generations. This concept goes hand in hand with environmental justice, which seeks to address the disproportionate burden of environmental degradation and harm experienced by marginalized communities. It emphasizes the need for equitable access to clean air, water, and a healthy environment for all people, irrespective of their race, socioeconomic status, or geographical location.
By embracing eco-cognizance and striving for environmental justice, we foster a sense of interconnectedness and harmony with the Earth. It prompts us to reevaluate our lifestyles, consumption patterns, and systems of production, in order to create a more sustainable and just world. It inspires us to engage in collective action, amplifying the voices of the unheard, and working towards a future where both human beings and the environment can thrive harmoniously.
Taken together, this volume would urge the readers to inquire, introspect, and invite them to confront those perceptions, assumptions and biases that were complicit in perpetuating the ecological crisis. Through a synthesis of scientific reasoning, philosophical insights, and real-world case studies, this volume looks forward to exploring questions about human existence in a multispecies world and the impact of their choices on the planet they call home.

Animesh Roy (Ph.D.) is an Assistant Professor at the Department of English, St. Xavier’s College, Simdega, in Jharkhand, India. His areas of research interest include environmental humanities, postcolonial studies, medical humanities, indigenous studies, gender studies, communication studies, and North-South discourses. His two recent publications are 'An Ibero-American Perspective on Narratives of Pandemics,' Eds. Zelia Bora, Animesh Roy and Ricardo De La Fuente Ballesteros (Lexington Books, 2023), and 'Post Green: Literature, Culture and Environment,' Eds. Murali Sivaramakrishnan and Animesh Roy (Lexington Books, 2023). Currently, Dr. Roy is working on an edited volume, 'Postcolonial Literature and Ecotheology,' which is to be published shortly.

Murali Sivaramakrishnan, poet, painter, professor, and literary critic, is the author of 'Mantra of Vision' (1997), 'Learning to Think Like Myself' (2010), 'Communication and Clarification: Essays on English in the Indian Classroom' (2014), 'Strategies and Methods: Relocating Textual Meaning' (2018) and a number of critical essays and seven volumes of poetry. His recent work is '50 Years of Chipko: The Movement and its Afterlives' (2026).