Emergence Magazine Podcast Is a River Alive? – A Conversation with Robert Macfarlane
May 20, 2025
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.
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Cultural Forgetting of River Aliveness
- Our culture largely forgets rivers as living presences, viewing them only as resources.
- This has disconnected us deeply from rivers' true power and life-giving nature.
Daylighting Buried Rivers
- Many cities were founded by rivers, yet we often no longer see or honor them.
- Re-exposing buried rivers ('daylighting') reconnects communities with their river heritage.
Reimagining Rivers as Alive
- We need new stories to reimagine rivers as alive and spirited beings.
- Reimagining rivers as having life and rights requires unlearning modern rationalist views.
