Deep and Shallow Ecology
Arne Naess, a Norwegian professor, draws a definite line between two areas that he calls Shallow Ecology and Deep Ecology
Arne Naess a Norwegian philosopher - cum-mountaineer introduced the phrase ‘deep ecology’ to the lexicon of environmental literature. It was in 1973 thirteen years after the publication of Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring. Conservation or preservation movements were started with the support of the activists-cum-writers like Henry David Thoreau, John Muier and Aldo Leopold during this period. Gifford Pinchot advised the motto of “wise-use” conservation philosophy for conservation of environment.
In 1972, Naess saw two different forms of environmentalism; one he called the “long-range deep ecology movement” and the other, the “shallow ecology movement.” The word “deep” in part referred to the level of questioning of our purposes and values when arguing in environmental conflicts. The “deep” movement involves deep questioning, right down to fundamental root causes. The short-term, shallow approach stops before the ultimate level of fundamental change, often promoting technological fixes (e.g. recycling, increased automotive efficiency, export-driven monocultural organic agriculture) based on the same consumption-oriented values and methods of the industrial economy. The long-range deep approach involves redesigning our whole systems based on values and methods that truly preserve the ecological and cultural diversity of natural systems. (source: http://www.deepecology.org/deepecology.htm)
Shallow ecology in brief:
a. Shallow Ecology is a movement to promote conservations strategies against pollution and the depletion of resources.
b. Human centric; believes in the capacity of human being to control environmental hazards
c. Human being is considered to be superior to all other species.
d.Considers legislation is a measure to implement pro- environmental laws
e. Limited scope ie. pollution and shortage of resources
f. Ignores value of other living systems.
g. Utility of natural resources; seem to be important
Deep Ecology in brief:
a. Represents an ecological wisdom which accepts inherent value of all ‘living beings’ on earth.
b. Bio- spherical egalitarianism “in theory.”
c. It considers all non-human living system along with human being
d. Accepts diversity of life – all specious including homo sapiens
e. Diversity in species leads to diversity in class i.e. the exploiters and the exploited or the species which exploit other species and species which are subject to exploitation
f. Holistic and biocentric
g. Universality of ecological wisdom
h. believes in Sustainability to the core
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