Spiritual Ecology

What religion were you raised with and how does that affect your view of spiritual ecology? What are your opinions on the Gaia Hypothesis? Do you agree or disagree?  Do you believe we live in a hyper-masculine culture? If so, how do you see it changing?

My religious background gets a little confusing and has changed greatly so far. My father was raised a hardcore Irish Catholic, attending church a least once a week and going to Catholic school his whole life. My grandmas is 95 and still goes to church 3 times a week and volunteers regularly. My mothers side was not as intense with religion, but attended a Presbyterian church. Growing up religion seemed to be something that we just did. Becuase my dad required a church with communion, we became Episcopalian. I am baptised, had my holy communion, and confirmation, and participated in youth groups. My mother, now Buddhist, was an active member on the vestry board and we fit in with the community. 

As we got older and busier, church became more of a chore and just another activity in our busy lifestyle. We slowly stopped going to church and I started going with my best friends family. It was what I thought I was supposed to do and to believe in some higher figure. My parents supported my decisions and would facilitate it. Religion was never something that my family debated or questioned, it was always just there if you wanted to believe.

Today, I have found that I do not have the same beliefs that I did as a child. There is too much science against how the Bible states humans came to be. I am open to the idea of Jesus and God and their society and stories because those events may have taken place. But I think that religion is more of an escape for human nature to want to believe in something, blame something, strive to impress. I do try to be openminded with religious beliefs, though, because I feel to each his own. For example, my oldest sister and her family are very religious and rely on praying to achieve things. "God helped us get this" or "if we pray it will be okay" are things that I have heard them preach. Personally, I feel that self realization and happiness is what we should strive for. I have started to follow my mothers new path to Buddhism and mediation. Where there is respect for others and the earth but I emphasize less on prayer and reliance to the gods. 

It is probably no surprise then that I understand where the Gaia hypothesis comes from. I think the approach that Lovelock took is interesting and makes sense. I believe that our world is bicentric and that everything is connected. Our earth is a living being in itself through what it provides us and the cycles that are natural processes. I think that the hypothesis as a whole may be a little extreme but the founding are good. I am interested to see my peers, who may be more religious than I am, opinions and feelings on this hypothesis. Also, how defensive and stubborn some will be about views that are opposing to theirs.  

Social Ecology

What is Social Ecology? What are your reactions to the readings? What forms of hierarchy are in our world today? Are these hierarchies natural? Are there any better alternatives? 

Social Ecology is somewhat related to Deep Ecology except for how intense it is. While Bookchin thinks that deep ecology is too radical and hard to implement, many of the concepts are similar. Social ecology breaks down the image that we have put on ecology and nature. That it frees nature from any anthropogenic sources and market-placed images on what nature truly is. It also is structured on a non-hierarchal democracy and deconstruction or submission to the market.

Personally, I feel that it is hard to describe what social ecology really is. The Bookchin reading was difficult to follow but from what I grasped, social ecology takes an ecocentric approach. This means that instead of focusing on the individual, the ecosystem as a whole is studied. 

I think that social ecology may be easier to integrate into our society than deep ecology while still maintaining similar respect for nature. Social ecology is about breaking down hierarchy and taking a more egalitarian approach. This is something that our society would have difficulty with because, whether we like it or not, class systems are all around us. Just within our university there is hierarchy within our governing structure, between students and a professor, within classmates and peers. It is a process that has become natural because as humans we are taught to strive to be the best and on top of the rest. These standing and class systems have become natural to our society and our economy. But as a whole nation, it is interesting to see the impacts that we have on less developed countries. It is was interesting to make these connections and see the impacts that we have on the environment and nature when approached from this direction. I do know that as a successful nation we try to help the less developed nations and their impacts on the environment.

Consensus and Community

Consensus decision making is a unique approach for group decision making. It is based on the values that it is not only about individuals rights but an agreement of a larger group. Caroline Estes, an advocate for consensus decisions, states that this is an approach that works for our society and can provide the best possible outcome. It allows the participants to engage, question, and understand all aspects of an issue.
While this seems like a great idea, it comes with difficulties. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and many do not share similar feelings and values. Therefore, it is difficult to make a consensus decision when there are such differing opinions. In order for this method to work, there must be respect for others and their opinions. If one person is too forward or outspoken it can do harm for the group and the final results. If there is progress made and all opinions are included or spoken the results can be wonderful and everyone is happy.
I have been involved with consensus decision making in a few of my courses and a student organization. There have been very difficult times where no answer is resolved or someone feels as if their view has not been counted. It is important to be able to weigh out the pro's and con's of the problem or question in order to see what the best result could be. However, it is very easy for someone to not speak up or share their true feelings on the topic. This shows that the consensus decision making did not work and that it may need to be approached again or in a different manner. This is a method that is difficult to enable if not everyone is on board or felt respected by the other members. So it is important to remember that everyone has a right to their opinion and feelings and your's may not always be right.

Intro to Deep Ecology

My teaching group is assigned to study and teach "deep ecology." This is an area that I have no prior knowledge in and only a brief background on. I feel as if my peers will be in a similar situation when teaching this topic.
The following is what I have gathered from my readings and research so far:

• Deep ecology is an ethical view in which there is respect for living and non-living things alike, regardless of their uses. 
• That humans and nature are alike and interconnected
• There is an intrinsic value to be placed on nature or non-human goods. Meaning, there is no value put on the good that is provided from the object. 
• "keep asking more questions about human life, society, and nature"
• "basic intuitions and experiencing of ourselves and nature. "

The actual definition of Deep Ecology is one that is hard to derive. It is complicated with 'why' and 'how' and by its value. I feel that this is a subject that is challenged by our society and culture every day. As humans we are used to using our resources and taking advantage of our natural surroundings. For many, the question of our impacts on the environment is not considered to be important or an issue worth putting thought and energy into. Instead, humans are concerned about self fulfillment and excellence.

These basic principles of our society in which we live in will pose to be one of the most difficult aspects of teaching deep ecology. In order to understand what deep ecology is, we will have to show our peers how to open up to new ideas, ethics, and relationships between human and nature. There will people who argue that there is a value that can be placed on our environment and what it provides. However, we must question these people on these matters and how they use the environment.

This is a topic that is going to be difficult to teach to our peers because it is very forward. It is also hard to fully define and apply to all aspects of life. Therefore, my teaching group and I must come up with a unique way to present this and educate them on its principles. I think that having a full discussion and engaging the class is going to be key to gaining a better understanding on the topic.