Who do we think we are on this planet? We've objectified nature and somehow made it seem unnatural to us. Now, more than ever, we need to build a partnership with the environment and include it as a protected party in the social contract.That is exactly what today's guest, Matthijs Schouten, preaches through his work as a Dutch ecologist and philosopher. Matthijs works for Staatsbosbeheer, a Dutch government organization for forestry and the management of nature reserves. He is a Professor by Special Appointment of Nature and Landscape Protection at the Universities of Cork and Galway in Ireland and special professor of Ecology and Philosophy of Nature Conservation at Wageningen University. Matthijs is a rare blend of disciplines - biology, Celtic linguistics and literature, comparative religious studies and Eastern philosophy - and has conducted research and campaigns on protecting peat bog ecosystems. This has led him to advocate that a sustainable future for the community of all life begins with understanding that the well-being of nature and the earth is interrelated with our own well-being.Listen as we discuss:How Matthijs became one of the world's preeminent protectors of peat bogsThat any one of us can make a differenceThe baffling entitlement of the government to destroy habitats by their own decreeWho the hell do we think we are on this planet?The objectification of nature as something "made for us"How disrespecting nature led to the COVID-19 epidemic, and how that relieved itThe need to see nature as a collection of subjects, not objectsApplying the social contract to "other than people-persons"The health benefits of nature and moving from the head to the heartThe foolish idea that we're separate from the worldThe hidden impacts of a life lived passionatelyInstagram: @mo_gawdatFacebook: @mo.gawdat.officialTwitter: @mgawdatLinkedIn: /in/mogawdatDon't forget to subscribe to Slo Mo for new episodes every Sunday and Thursday. Only with your help can we reach One Billion Happy #onebillionhappy