Dr. Noel Charlton
Field of reference: Ecology
Description: Human beings need a change of attitude (a spiritual change internally) to attain intrinsic value of the whole
"Equal intrinsic value
implies species egalitarianism: all beings, of whatever species, have equal value in themselves for what they are. This is distinguished from any instrumental or use-value they may have to other beings. Thus, humans may only interfere with other beings “at vital need”, not just to satisfy their desires. Even non-living beings (rivers, mountains) have intrinsic value. There is no gradation of intrinsic value - it is absolute.Deep relationship with the world
Naess distinguishes ‘deep’ from ‘shallow’ or technical fix approaches to ecological issues. We need a deep change of attitude, a spiritual change to our inner selves. We are part of nature. Responsible ways of living are more conducive to truly human goals than the present destructive lifestyles. Deep questioning is a process of examining our beliefs and then engaging with others who differ. Deep questions are about quality of living, about “feeling good”, we should “worry about essentials”. “Quality of life is nothing - absolutely nothing - to do with what you have; everything to do with how you feel about it”.
Self realization
- “selv-realizering” in Norwegian; a continuing process of recognising that the self is not limited to the person but extends to all the intermeshed processes in the world within which our minds and bodies live. Naess: “Not saving the rain-forest, but saving that part of yourself which is the rain-forest”. Another term Naess uses is “wide identification”: one must at least extend one’s sphere of concern to non-human beings, ideally to all forms of living and non-living entities. Naess: “The focus is on single living beings. The whole has intrinsic value…. We have respect for wholes; we identify with individuals”.
| שייך לנושאים: 1-13 - חינוך אינטגרלי, -מקורות מדעיים, הטבע, 3. איזון עם הטבע |
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Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Field of reference: Ecology, Biology
Description: A human being identifying itself as self separates from the rest of the world and leads to selfishness. not only to other people but to everything. “Self-realization”, in other words, is the reconnection of the shriveled human individual with the wider natural environment
"Inspired by Spinoza's metaphysics, another key feature of Næss's deep ecology is the rejection of atomistic individualism. The idea that a human being is such an individual possessing a separate essence, Næss argues, radically separates the human self from the rest of the world. To make such a separation not only leads to selfishness towards other people, but also induces human selfishness towards nature. As a counter to egoism at both the individual and species level, Næss proposes the adoption of an alternative relational “total-field image” of the world. According to this relationalism, organisms (human or otherwise) are best understood as “knots” in the biospherical net. The identity of a living thing is essentially constituted by its relations to other things in the world, especially its ecological relations to other living things. If people conceptualise themselves and the world in relational terms, the deep ecologists argue, then people will take better care of nature and the world in general.As developed by Næss and others, the position also came to focus on the possibility of the identification of the human ego with nature. The idea is, briefly, that by identifying with nature I can enlarge the boundaries of the self beyond my skin. My larger -- ecological -- Self (the capital “S” emphasizes that I am something larger than my body and consciousness), deserves respect as well. To respect and to care for my Self is also to respect and to care for the natural environment, which is actually part of me and with which I should identify. “Self-realization”, in other words, is the reconnection of the shriveled human individual with the wider natural environment. Næss maintains that the deep satisfaction that we receive from identification with nature and close partnership with other forms of life in nature contributes significantly to our life quality. (One clear historical antecedent to this kind of nature spiritualism is the romanticism of Jean-Jacques Rousseau as expressed in his last work, the Reveries of the Solitary Walker)"
| שייך לנושאים: 1-13 - חינוך אינטגרלי, -מקורות מדעיים, הטבע, 3. איזון עם הטבע |
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Dr. Melinda S. Merric, Dr. Emily A. Pric
Field of reference: Sociology, Ecology
Description: Research on human perceptions of connectedness to nature
"Considerable attention has been paid to the idea that people in western industrialized countries increasingly see themselves as separate from nature. As is specified in the U.S. Wilderness Act (1964), nature is set aside as something pristine and free of the modern human touch. Although many have addressed the issue of the human place in nature, to our knowledge, no one has investigated the role of connectedness to nature on whether residents of developed countries perceive themselves to be part of or separate from nature. To address this question, in the study presented here we asked respondents from three separate surveys in the United States if they considered themselves part of or separate from nature. We also asked them to provide lists of words associated with the natural and the unnatural."
| שייך לנושאים: 1-13 - חינוך אינטגרלי, -מקורות מדעיים, הטבע, 3. איזון עם הטבע |
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Dr. Andrew P. Hendry, Dr. Thomas J. Farrugia, Dr. Michael T. Kinnison
Field of reference: Ecology
Description: How human activity affects nature
"Human activities can expose populations to dramatic environmental perturbations, which may then precipitate adaptive phenotypic change... humans are an important agent driving phenotypic change in contemporary populations. Although these changes sometimes have a genetic basis, our analyses suggest a particularly important contribution from phenotypic plasticity."
| שייך לנושאים: 1-13 - חינוך אינטגרלי, -מקורות מדעיים, הטבע, 3. איזון עם הטבע |
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Dr. Anthony J McMichael, Dr. Rosalie E Woodruff, Dr. Simon Hales
Field of reference: Ecology, Health
Description: Ecological crisis - climate change affects health
"There is near unanimous scientific consensus that greenhouse gas emissions generated by human activity will change Earth's climate. The recent (globally averaged) warming by 0·5°C is partly attributable to such anthropogenic emissions. Climate change will affect human health in many ways—mostly adversely. Here, we summarise the epidemiological evidence of how climate variations and trends affect various health outcomes. We assess the little evidence there is that recent global warming has already affected some health outcomes. We review the published estimates of future health effects of climate change over coming decades. Research so far has mostly focused on thermal stress, extreme weather events, and infectious diseases, with some attention to estimates of future regional food yields and hunger prevalence. An emerging broader approach addresses a wider spectrum of health risks due to the social, demographic, and economic disruptions of climate change. Evidence and anticipation of adverse health effects will strengthen the case for pre-emptive policies, and will also guide priorities for planned adaptive strategies."
| שייך לנושאים: 1-13 - חינוך אינטגרלי, -מקורות מדעיים, הטבע, 3. איזון עם הטבע |
| להשאיר תגובה | |