When the fireflies fade away

The fireflies are the symbol chosen by Pasolini to stigmatize the Italian social change across the Sixties and the Seventies. During this time, the agricultural culture has been permanently outdated by industry. So the fireflies fade away, gloomily representing a tainted nature. But much has changed since then. As witnessed by the recent COP21 agreement in Paris, a society can be defined responsible only when it does take care of the environment. This is mostly true in the urban areas, where the exposure to pollution and waste is more widespread. As explained by the ethologist Enrico Alleva, we should not see the care of the urban animals – both domestic and wild – as a sign of weakness, but rather as one of civilization.