Is a River Alive? – A Conversation with Robert Macfarlane
May 20, 2025
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Acclaimed author Robert Macfarlane explores whether rivers are truly alive, sharing insights from his latest book, 'Is a River Alive?'. He passionately discusses rivers as sentient presences, not just resources, highlighting his journeys through Ecuador's Río Los Cedros and Chennai's waterways. Macfarlane illuminates the urgent need to recognize rivers’ cultural significance and the ecological crisis we face. He advocates for the Rights of Nature movement, sharing powerful stories of communities engaged in restoring their sacred relationships with waterways.
Rivers should be seen as living entities with spirit and vitality, requiring a shift from viewing them merely as resources.
Urban expansion has led to the neglect of rivers, making concepts like 'daylighting' essential for restoring community connections and public health.
The Rights of Nature movement advocates for recognizing rivers as beings with rights, challenging traditional notions of ownership and fostering environmental stewardship.
Deep dives
The Forgotten Aliveness of Rivers
Many people have come to view rivers as mere resources rather than living entities. This perspective stems largely from a Western rationalist worldview, which has desensitized society to the vibrancy and spirit of natural water systems. The podcast discusses the importance of rekindling our understanding of rivers as alive, vital forces that deserve reverence. Recognizing rivers as dynamic, sentient beings can help restore our connection to nature and unleash a deeper appreciation for their significance in our lives.
Collective Forgetfulness and Urban Development
Human history reveals that major cities often developed alongside rivers, yet modern urban expansion has led to the burial and neglect of these waterways. The discussion highlights concepts like 'daylighting' which involves exposing hidden rivers to renew community connections and enrich public health. This forgetfulness and physical separation from rivers not only damages the natural ecosystem but also contributes to cultural and emotional disconnection. Acknowledging the historic significance of rivers can help reinvigorate collective memory and inspire better choices for urban planning.
Rivers and the Rights of Nature
The podcast explores the emerging Rights of Nature movement, which advocates for legal recognition of rivers as living entities with rights to exist and thrive. This approach contrasts with traditional frameworks that often reduce natural elements to mere commodities. Real-world examples, such as lawsuits filed to protect rivers, illustrate the power of this movement in giving a voice to nature. These legal shifts challenge prevailing notions of ownership and encourage more harmonious relationships between humans and the environment.
Reimagining Relationship with Water
A significant theme is the need to craft new narratives around rivers, emphasizing interconnectedness and the reverence they deserve. The conversation brings forth insights from advocates who recognize the bridges between personal experiences of environmental degradation and broader ecological narratives. In many cultures, rivers are woven into spiritual and existential dialogues, and returning to that understanding can inspire actionable change. The commitment to storytelling and deepening relationships with rivers can foster cultural shifts in how societies engage with nature.
Intangible Connections and Personal Transformation
The podcast emphasizes the personal experiences of those advocating for rivers, including individuals who have undergone transformations through their connections with waterways. These stories highlight the vital relationships formed between people and their local rivers, showcasing how these bonds can drive activism and greater environmental stewardship. The experiences shared reflect moments of deep emotional resonance, revealing that true engagement with nature requires more than intellect—it demands presence and intuition. Understanding rivers through lived experience can promote empathy, foster community bonds, and inspire collective action for ecological restoration.
In this conversation, acclaimed author Robert Macfarlane asks the ancient and urgent question: is a river alive? Understanding rivers to be presences, not resources, he immerses us in the ways they “irrigate our bodies, thoughts, songs, and stories,” and how we might recognize this within our imagination and ethics. He speaks about his latest book, and traces his journeys down the Río Los Cedros in Ecuador, the waterways of Chennai in India, and the Mutehekau Shipu in Nitassinan and how each brought him to experience these water bodies as willful, spirited, and sacred beings.
