[BIOLOGY | Week #10] Ecosystems & Deep Ecology

-

8-Point Deep Ecology Platform and Social Ecology

I have never heard of the deep ecology movement and think the 8-point deep ecology platform is a great starting point to understanding its framework and purpose.  What I appreciate most about the principles is the ideological, internal, interpersonal and institutional approach to understanding how human's affect the world around them.  I really like #7:

"The ideological change is mainly that of appreciating life quality (dwelling in situations of inherent worth) rather than adhering to an increasingly higher standard of living.  There will be a profound awareness of the difference between big and great."

As I continued to read the platform, I was getting anti-capitalist vibes which was really intriguing. Then as I researched where the 8-points of deep ecology came from and learned that deep ecology has its roots in anarchism.  Check out this cool article from the Anarchist Library. This excerpt from helped me ground ideas between deep ecology and anarchism:

"Eco-Anarchist luminary, Murray Bookchin argues that the exploitation of nature is contingent on the power structures at play in a society. In his essay “Ecology and revolutionary thought”, Bookchin emphasizes on the principles of diversity and spontaneity for the revitalization of complex ecological systems. He persuasively asserts that decentralized social structures which adopt direct democracy and humanist technology are a necessity to allow for the flourishing of diversity and spontaneity."



If I were to assess the end goals of social ecology, it would be to create a culture that fosters the belief for humans to not take more than they need and to remember our interconnected relationship to Mother Earth. This is not a new belief. It is ancestral knowledge that exists in all people.  I think the systems of feudalism, colonialism and capitalism (which placed a monetary price on natural resources and people) is what has caused our violent disconnection to the earth and eachother.    

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

[BIOCHEMISTRY | Week #11] The Chemistry of Life

-
Image
Chemistry of Life Discussion + Reflection Our discussion on air pollution particles found in hearts of city dwellers was alarming.  I was aware that air quality in massive cities like Mumbai and Beijing had poor air quality, but the article we read in class stated that more than 90% of the world population lives with toxic air. We are so fortunate in the Bay Area that our air quality is great, though the fires have had a significant impact on it these past few years.  I didn't realize how sensitive my lungs were to the fires. I had asthma growing up and it hasn't bothered me until the fires.  I started thinking about that business that sold canned air in China.  What started off as a gimmick selling a ziplock bag of air for about a dollar, their sales sky rocketed after Chinese consumers began to buy it online. You can find the article here .  It boggles my mind that our society is at a point where they are harvesting and profiting off air. AIR?...
Read more

[BIOLOGY | Week #3] Human & Chimp Genes + Genetic Evolution

-
Image
Human + Chimp Genes and Genetic Evolution "99.4% of the most critical DNA sites are identical in human and chimps genes" In response to the quote above, I believe humans are either descendants of chimps or share a common ancestor. P erhaps over time, a genetic mutation occurred in a generation of chimpanzees and the human species are products of that change.  Our genetic similarities to chimps can offer a useful key into understanding the biological and evolutionary traits of humans; it seems we are just scratching the surface in understanding what makes us human. I was unable to access the link provided on human genetic evolution, but found an interesting article published by Big Think on four beneficial evolutionary mutations that humans are currently undergoing.  What intrigued me is their stance on mutations as a more positive outlook on genetic evolution. For instance, there is a small community in Italy who carry a mutant version of a protein gene ca...
Read more

[BIOLOGY-PHYSICS-CHEMISTRY | Week #1] Introduction + Class Discussion Reflection

-
Image
Introduction Greeting ACCHS Western Sciences Community,     My name is Verma Zapanta and I am a first year student at ACCHS. Although I've been attending the course since the beginning of the trimester, I just enrolled in the class and am slowly catching up with the workload in all the Western Science courses that Larry is teaching. =) I worked in education for ten years prior to attending ACCHS as a history teacher, college professor and in youth leadership development.  I transitioned out of teaching because the work became unsustainable and had a significant impact on my wellbeing. I found myself drawn to mental health work and holistic medicine because it supported my own healing.  Acupuncture was the introduction to other modalities of healing and re-connected me to the medicines that exist in my ancestral land of the Philippines.  My goal as a practitioner is to not only practice Chinese medicine, but to continue conversations on wellness within spac...
Read more