Ecologism revision cards

- central principle of all forms of green thought

- branch of biology

- plants and animals are sustained by self regulating ecosystems

- ecosystems interact with other ecosystems so are not completely self regulating

- world is made up of a complex web of ecosystems

- disagrees with the conventional view that humans are the masters of nature

- humankind faces environmental disaster because it has blindly pusued material wealth and this has upset the ecosystems that sustain human life

- ecology favours ecocentrism and challenges anthropocentrism

- shallow ecology harnesses the lessons of ecology to human needs and ends

- deep ecology rejects any belief that humans are superior

- deep ecology says human purpose is to sustain the environment

- deep ecology critisises shallow ecology for being a weak form of anthropocentrism and that its objective is to maintain health of people in developed countries

- shallow ecology criticises deep ecology for having irrational doctrines and advocating principles that are unlikely to gain support from people

- traditional ideologies think humans are the masters of the natural world and treat nature like an economic resource

- humans need to learn that they are part of the natural world, not the masters

- natural world has to be understood as a whole - Smuts

- each part only has importance in relation to other parts

- Science commits the sin of reductionism

- but...quantum theory sees the physical world as a network of systems

- many greens are attracted to eastern mysticism which expresses ecological wisdom and compassion for fellow things

- In Christianity, humans are seen as God's stewards

- James Lovelock developed Gaia, that the Earth is a living entity 

- grey parties think humans have unlimited possibilities for material growth

- Boulding said humans act like they live in a cowboy economy with unlimited opportunities, this has led them to act recklessly

- closed systems tend to decay because they are not sustained from outside

- Schumacher said humans have made the mistake of regarding energy as an income

- policies must be judged by sustainability - production damaging the environment as little as possible