& | | DEEP ECOLOGY i | for the : TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY Edited by George Sessions SCIEMCE SHAMBHALA Boston & London 1995Te Dp Belo! Movement 6 “War tert.” In spite of thi invasion, ber popations grew and toubles skip, How did Mysterud react to these new problema? Did he se ims tothe Sount of humar/sheep encroachment on bar territory? Did he sttempe a ect application of his deep ecological perspective ro these sucr? Quite the canary. He adopted what appeared to be a shallow wife management ‘wopetve, and defended the sheepowners: ore money to compensate for lees, quicker compensation, an dhe immediate hiring of hunters who killed ‘al “uveile delinquent bears actned of killing many sheep rctors of big carnivores noted wth cancer the change of Mysterus pe “mage had he really abandoned his Former vale priorities? Privately Peimised that he hadn't Burin public he ended so remain silent ‘The reason for M’s unexpected ations was aot diffe to find: the fnce Afconamie growth was so strong tht the laws protecting hears would be hg i a highly unfavorable dveeion i the sheepowners ere hot son ied by accepting sme of thee not unreatonable demand: Af alec atau of money to hire and equip people to locate a ack of sheep which Sad ren harased by a bear and, further to prove the bea’ gui And the bureaveratie procedures involved were time:consuming. M. had not changed is sic value proriies at all Rater, he had adopted a purely defensive «empoise. He stopped promoting his deep ecology pilsophy publicly in exe tren ceedblityand sending among opponents of his principles snd in his iendships with sheepowners, trad whats rue of Mysterud i alo ere of thousands of ether profesional "cops and environmentalist, These people often hold responsible potion, insoety where they might suengehen responsible environmental pai. but, ‘ren the exponential forces of growth, thee publaion, i any, ae ned * esaronly profesional and specialized concerns. Thlt writings are sey ampcten, but lack a deeper and more comprehensive perspective alte admit that there are ome rian exceptions to this. *Ifpofsona ecologists persis ia voicing their value prioies, thei obs steafen in danger, or they tend ole influence and status among thee whe sin charge of overall plies! Privately, they admit the neces for deep tnd fr-aogng changes, but they no longer speak out in pubic. As arse, ple deeply concerned shout ecology and the eavconment fee abrvoned anderen etayed by the “experts” who work within the “stablshment." Incesogical debates, many participants know lot about particular conser aon polices in particular places, and many ethers have song view cot “ering fundamental philosophical questions of environmental ethics, only ee have bo qualities. When dese pene at let, he los i formidable For example, the complicated question concerning how industri sities s 9) THE DEEP ECOLOGICAL MOVEMENT SOME PHILOSOPHICAL, ASPECTS | Arne Naess 1 DEEP ECOLOGY ON THE DEFENSIVE Iearasing rxassunts ron continue growth and devapment Placed che vst mjoriy of eniranmental pracaonas onthe deca ‘ay of tara * The fi eclogi fear Myra, who both profesional and i Aduoatd deep eclogial principles inthe late ses, secre ee able resntance Colleagues chs universal ke oebal ken ee and not meddte in philosophical and political matters. He should reat i temptation wo becme» prominent ppsaier=eagh nme eee Myserud became wel-known profesional “expert” at asesing ede age done when bers lle or maimed shep and rcs donee eae Norvay. According tothe lv thir ownes ae fd dupes, Anes hate ce msn oh a mies ale! Coninied growth and development requicel thatthe sep sonst. and shespownes bce ewer, her and endederh ee Asa rest of wage increses they could not afford hie sheer ea the Hock, so he sheep wer lef on thet ow even shots wale De ‘ed growth ai equred moving sheep to what wa eadonlh rossi Pn SF ly peli apt ey 8 1 8) RedCes The Deep lpia! Movement wor th the natural world an iri for human societies to vein Barony with hs “shih hey depend for sure and wellbeing” Bot soch an ethic Would see fee mi tm by oo en Sept time to this compiate problem. yer ti icf ep ly er han merely ts aeulnes Te inkl come to Beamer {ein ut or rent many af thse sees consr the ean stand nore by thse in he feds pce ute sh, Teens and ieevant, Wht thes exper consider rev areas Whe fr eae to pda ath for tate reasons oly. {ems of how to stabilize and eventually decrease consumption wit pot Furthermore, this point applics to all aspects of a world conservation strat- ert Sct onthe ens ey Consvin near more eg implement yep ho i whey are crerving, ad whoa conned sat what hey ore ‘Sia lve Soch Ivers wl no want hile thi eer sed ‘ther thy wl incre ive wie othe inp. They poses J & genuine ethics of conservation, not merely a tactically useful instrument for Whar is DEEP ecovoa {Bn jnctease energy production with the least undesirable consequent leegely a waste of time itis increas is pointless in elation to ule nee ns Thousands of experts hired by the government and other bi incon 2. A CALL TO SPEAK OUT eu tae In shor, environmental eduction campaigns can fortunately combine hamancn‘ered arguments with a paca enviconmental etic bse on tera deeper and more fundamental philosophic or religious perspective, ane 3 ena st of norms esting on intrinsic vals But the inherent strength of this vel postion wil be lst howe eho work presinally om environmental pbs donc rey give testimony to fundamental norms. 0 The abo ihoratory in che postive etymelogieal sense ofthat word. 1 sok “w urge, ict, instigate, encourage, cher” (Latin hort). This may em unacademic hut ¥ consider i justifiable because of a stinate elaine tipberweenhortatry sentences and base philosophical view which forma nen tecton 8 To tne won flow front fundamental erm, and Iypmthee eminently pilesophical Ile ine mr emcathanashens e deep ecology. They need what these people have to contribute, aed this he wha pcg ners ya ae iy sacar etme pee ken Ma dan by te de din ae namin ne nl td els ee ea Wildlife Fund (WWE), The argument in this important document te 3 WHAT IS DEEP ECOLOGY? ‘Thephase "ep cology movement” as ben wed up to this point without ing to define it One shoul not expect coo much Feom dfinisons of move ens think, for example, of tems like “conservtim,”“ieratn,” othe “ein mnennt” Ard heroes hy sone of eens stnld adhere exactly to the same deisition, oF to any definition, for that “rae. I is the same with characterization, ctitra, or a set of proposed ecsary conditions for aplication ofthe test or phase. In what fellows, plafr or key tems and phases, agreed upon by George Sesions and m}~ «late tentatively proposed as asic to deep ecology. More accurately, the ses es nlf, They ae min res npr int ich the great majority of supporters accep, pic or empl. at hil Jel of genealiy. Perthermor, they expres» propos to the lfc that honeTh Dep Belepicl Movement eo nheen value, a6 use in 3), i common in deep cology literature (gy “The pesence of inherent vale in a natural objet i independent of any ces iteret oF appreitin of by any conscosbeing * Eat The so-called simple, lower, or primitive species of plant and ani alcoibareesencially tothe richness an diversity of ite, They have vale intheslves and ate not merely steps toward the so-called higher or rational ffs. The second penciple presupposes that ie hell a proces over ‘nary time, implies an increase of diversity and echnes imply as refered 0 hee, is differen from complication. Far ex slut life may he more complicated than lie in natural sting without eegimore complex inthe sense of molifacted quality Is deliberately let vague to allow for consid- who slid reget one or more of these pints shoul ao be viewed Pins should aot be viewed a pe xs of deep cology. This might result Breas they ate suppones ofl (0 tefrm) environmental movement or rather they may sony lee of more of the ight pits for semantic or ether texans Ba ey aa accepts lien et of points which, to me, has oughly the ane mes in whic case | shall call hem supporters ofthe decp evolagy noe ys ud that they thnk they disagree (maybe Henryk Sklimonel ian cat ofthe acter). The eight points are + The welling sd florshing of human and non-human iene have value in themselves Gynonyne tame tle, ahora ‘These vals are independ! of the setulae ofthe none ad for human purposes, a ce % Richness and diversity of ile forms conribute othe reas a HaE He ede in judgment. Difeences in climate and related fctor, 1 valucs and ae alt values in themloes WE eis wih diterences in the stuctres of sce as they now exis, need to Fete ito consideration, RE (People inthe materially sichese countries canaot be expected to ee thi excesive interference withthe non-human word overnight The ‘ubstion and rection ofthe human poplation wil ake time: Hundreds if ya! Ine strategies nee to be developed. Bu inno way docs this tae the presen complacency. The extreme serousnes ove current sta ten mist ist be realized. And the longer we wait to make the necessary ges te more drastic willbe the tenures needed. Uni deep changes ate ubtantal decreases in richness and diversity are lable to occur. the Taf extinction of species wil be ten to une hundted or more times eater ania anyother shore peri of earth history, RE This formulation mild, Fora realistic assessment, see the annual ‘cs af the Worldwatch Insitute in Washington, DC The lagan of “non-interference” dors not imply that humans should not sly some ecosystems 35 do other species Humans have mid the earth sve then history and will probably continue to do so. At sue isthe ‘stan xen of such imerference. The per eapita destruction of wild (a se fret and thee wild ecosystems has been excesive in rch countries insect the poor donot imitate the sc inthis regard The fight to preserve and extend areas of wilderess and near-wiklermess ee Nature") should continue, The rationale for such preservation shoul ‘mainly on the ecological functions of there area (one sich ten ange dress areas ae required inthe biosphere forthe continved evolutionary ‘geciton of plants and animal. Mest of the present designated wilderness rasand game reserves are not large enough tallow for such speciation, RE (@: Economic growth 38 i conecved of and implemented toy by iin states is sncompaile with pints (2) through Gh. There is only 3 Humane have no right to reduce th vehnes and deny en saviaty vital needs, ae 4 The flourishing of human ie and clos is compatible witha hun tally smaller human population. "The outing of mwas ‘urs mater human popula, 5: Present human interference with the non-human world sexed te sinacon i rap wercing 6, Policies ma therefore be changed. These pif bs an technologicl, and ideo! nrucen The tculing acne Will be deeply different from the present. 3 7 The ideological change will be mainly that of appreciating le quip (welling i station of inherent ale) rather ta athe ok scesingl higher standard of ving There wil bes feund eee of the difference between bigness and greatness. i 4 Those who suburb wo the foregoing pins hve an blind Finditt ry implement the secaary eager * Consents on rie Ercuy Points or tits Puatrouw RE (0 This formulation refers othe biosphere, or more profil. coher asa whole (this is alo efeered to as “ecocentr Th iets individuals, species, populations, habitat a well as hurnan ap Rees cultures Given our eurent knowledge of al pervasve intimate rape ‘his implies a fandamental concern and reapece . ‘The term “lie” is used herein a more comprehensive aon-chil ay oto refer to what biologists classify at “non lving" rivers (west landscapes, ecosystems. For supporters of deep ecology, slogans suchas tele "ver lve” lsat dis broader usage so common in many eda,a WHAT 15 DEEP EcOLOGR HE Te Dep Eee! Movement a By Sigmund Kvatoy and others to emphasize (1 highly xtc atesiment of ‘beindusial growth sores fom a general ecological point of view, an 3) the elegy of the human species "Green Philosphy snd Pulte” while che tem “een” is ofen uted in Europe, in the United States “green” has 9 iading aocition with the rather “blue” Green agricultural revolution, “Supinble Earth Eahis,” ap used by G. Tyler Miller, and “Ecosophy” (eco ‘don, Which my own Favorite erm, Others could be sentoned as wel ‘And o, why use the active “dcp? This question wll be easicr toa ner sfier the contrast i made between sallow and dep ecological concerns “Dep ecology” isnot pilsophy in any proper academic seme, nor ii Jaatoralized a8 eeligion or am ideology, Rates, what happens is that ‘ious persns come together in compagns sad divest actions. They form 3 ste frends supporting the same kind of iestyle which thers ay think ‘ebe "dimple," but which they themselves se a rich and many-sided They age on a vase array of pail issues, although they may ether wit support lien pital partes nll soil movements sogacs snd ther are inipnable for in-group coherence. They reac together agin the sare sets ina predominanly norvilene way. Perhaps the mast influent part Legs are artists and writers whe do not ariculte thei insights in term of lesional philosophy, expressing themselves cater in aet or poet. For «thse reson, Fuse the term “movement” rate haa “phlesophy.” But ii ves that fundamental stiles and Beis ate invalved as part ofthe petition fraction, 4 faine resemblance between ideal sustainable forms of economic growth ‘bape ple nda ee : Pret el td ol ny bese hy ar sae td oe thy havea omy ag Thera see cosa (Shenton ny eal ea eee i a communi” snd "ink eb i lca win eons ea ei theiplinentson of dp change sone foray gel eae across borders, aa sha : Govern in Third Welcome ae yin Belgie When inate nat a cope mens oh Tid Word penser ea et ‘camped eg, vih ables of decease) Ge fer fr aa stn though non gran eee ‘Reet nnn import hay chee wine ay em pao ps ha sea ae Cultural diversity today requites advanced technology, chat is chain, that advance the base golf each clare Sova, neronne thease chodager eager te RE (7 Some economists criticize the term “quality of life” bees sappy vga Bon tape ua hous ee uly the ong ro te tas Os nce tah Soy erat re uty os eh a RE Gy There ape rom fr dive pions to pic shuld be dane a tne! Whar oe gs a cy done or opps ot gh ak ese preg? The fone he crvenmesel ee see Cate Breve » 4-DEEP VERSUS SHALLOW ECOLOGY | Anumber of key terms and slogans from the enviconmental debate will clarify ‘se conuas between the shallow and the deep ecology movernents AP 4 Pouutiox The above formulations ofthe eight points may be useful to many suport of tn deep clogy movement sme wil cel el a tapers perfec cen misleading. If ey net to formulate 2 fw ord oh basic deep cog, then they wl pope analteraave st sede hl f couse be gad to refer tema arenes Ther ought smear of diversity in whats conidered base and carmen Why should'we call the movement "the deep cedal mova? ‘There are at east she dengatins whith coer nn i oe *Eclopea Resanc," se by Jobn Rodina nip dhe Tp New Natural Philosophy” coined by Joseph Meeker "Eco piu Shallow Approach: Technology seks to purify thea nd water ad to spread polon more evenly. Laws lit permible pollution. Polluting industries ine preferably exported to deveoping countries, ‘Deep Appeoah:Polltion is evaluated from a biosphere point of view, not ‘being exchsively on its fleets on aman health, but either on ile as 2 vl, nluing the He conditions of every species and system, The shallow fs ttion to aid rain, for example, ist tend to avid action by demanding > more esearch and the tempt to find species of tees which wl leat high toy, et The erp approach conceateates on what it going on in the total A) oom and ells fora high priority ght aginst the exon conditionsno WHAT 1s DEEP EcoLoGn and the technology responsible for producing the sid rain. The logge concerns are one hundred year, t Feast ‘The priority is to igh che deep cases of plluion, noe merely the ope ial, short-range effets, The Third and Fourth Word couneies ean ald £0 pay the oa oss of the war agains pollution inti region cone they requice the assistance ofthe Fist and Second World countries Esptig pollution i not only 2 crime against humanity, it i 4 crime again le ener 7 Me Deep Faecal Movement an ‘xs of willie forms tend vo be accep nso a8 species are not driven Ibeainton. Panther, the socal ration of animal ace ignored. longterm ‘nana eduction ofthe global human population isnt scent be = dese. tle gaa. In ation, the right i claimed to defend one’s borders against ea aliens,”rgariss of wha the population pressures ae ehewhet, Deep Approach: I is recognized that excessive presures on planetary ile sa from the homan population explosion, The pressure stemming form the india societies i 2 major factor and population eeduction must have the igs print in tho societies, B. Resources 2 SD, Coruna: Divensity awe Avexorniare elles Arnon The cos upon ents humann ene D. Couture the prea generation nae soc nthe view the rane el tact long to hoe ho have the technology to ent, Ths ne fidence that eesources wll not be deplete tease ap they ge rae op 2 markt price wll conserve them, nd subts wil be nd tno soogica progress, Further, plants animal, and natural bjs te ole only a esos for human Ia man ise Kaun oF eons Hoe toe fount it does noe mater ithe ave destroyed ! Deep Approach: The concern here with sources and abit fr le forms or thei own sake. Nona obje is coeeved of sll ana ee “his leas then octal evaluation of human modes of pron a, Rectining, three al forms of hfe on this planet Bots apts and socal ‘rine of expansionary industrials routinely requie the destruction of ‘Gees and ecomystms, Industrial now thesten to disrupt atmospheric telsions fundamental tothe while biosphere. If eclogeal problems have ‘ots in indian, then a perspective which takes indus ie a arf the problein i needed “The taafermation of industrsis will, | believe, involve multifaceted sale over several generations, The changes required ae ofthe magoitude he egrcaleral and industrial revolsiona. ‘Deep Ecology is one prspetive which beckons win the right desi, ta jim io decades, Deep Feo a0 theory—ae distinct from Deep Ecology © ae scal mavement—has become «benchmark in defining varieties of ene ‘onmentl philosophies? In the course of es eltivey short history, there bas teen conierable controversy surrounding Deep Ecology, buc inant off has teen misdirected. One reason for this as ben the Bare of eric wo neice thr he “lie” of Deep Ecology differs Fundamenrally inform from many tte philosophical positions ‘The hereof Deep Ecology i ts platform, which consists of number of imate Factual and normative aims about humans and their reltions ih he est ofnauze. The placform was intended aba description ofa Deep logy rca movement and a3 has for larger nity among al those who szep the importance of sonanthropocenerim and understand that ehis ee tire! socal change "The platform, anticulted by Arne Naess and George Sesions while they THR Tipe unpble,Pbs wit peision