Ecologism
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What makes ecologism deeper and, in a sense, more radical than other political ideologies is that it practises the ‘politics of sensibilities’. By attempting to re-orientate people’s relationship with and appreciation of ‘the non-human’ – the world ‘out there’ – ecologism sets out to do nothing less than transform human consciousness and, in the process, radically reconfigure our moral responsibilities. In order to give expression to this vision of interconnectedness, green thinkers have been forced to search for new concepts and ideas in the realm of science, or rediscover ancient ones from the realms of religion and mythology. The central themes of ecologism are: z z ecology z z systems thinking z z sustainability
z z environmental ethics z z from having to being.
Ecology The central principle of all forms of green thought is ecology . Ecology developed as a distinct branch of biology through a growing recognition that plants and animals are sustained by self-regulating natural systems – ecosystems – composed of both
living and non-living elements. Simple examples of an ecosystem are a field, a forest or a pond. All ecosystems tend towards a state of harmony or equilibrium through a system of self-regulation. Biologists refer to this as homeostasis . Food and other resources are recycled, and the population size of animals, insects and plants adjusts naturally to the available food supply. However, such ecosystems are not ‘closed’ or entirely self-sustaining: each interreacts with other ecosystems. A lake may constitute an ecosystem, but it also needs to be fed with fresh water from tributaries, and receive warmth and energy from the sun. In turn, the lake provides water and food for species living along its shores, including human communities. The natural world is therefore made up of a complex web of ecosystems, the largest of which is the global ecosystem, commonly called the ‘ecosphere’ or ‘biosphere’. Scientific ecology radically challenged the conventional understanding of the natural world and of the place of human beings within it. Ecology conflicts with the notion of humankind as ‘the master’ of nature, and instead suggests that a delicate network of interrelationships that had hitherto been ignored sustains each human community, indeed the entire human species. Green thinkers argue that humankind currently faces the prospect of environmental disaster precisely because, in its passionate but blinkered pursuit of material wealth, it has upset the ‘balance of nature’ and endangered the very ecosystems that make human life possible. Ecologism thus favours ecocentrism and either rejects anthropocentrism altogether, or seeks to recast it in line with the principle of ecology. This draws attention
Ecology: The study of the relationship between living organisms and the environment; ecology stresses the network of relationships that sustains all forms of life. System: A collection of parts that operate through a network of reciprocal interactions and thereby constitute a complex whole. Homeostasis: The tendency of a system, especially the physiological systems of higher animals, to maintain internal equilibrium. Ecocentrism: A theoretical orientation that gives priority to the maintenance of ecological balance rather than the achievement of human ends. Anthropocentrism: A belief that human needs and interests are of overriding moral and philosophical importance; the opposite of ecocentrism.
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