Deep ecology is an environmental philosophy that promotes the inherent worth of all living beings regardless of their instrumental utility to human needs, and the restructuring of modern human societies in accordance with such ideas.
Deep ecology argues that the natural world is a complex of relationships in which the existence of organisms is dependent on the existence of others within ecosystems. It argues that non-vital human interference with or destruction of the natural world poses a threat therefore not only to humans but to all organisms constituting the natural order.
Deep ecology's core principle is the belief that the living environment as a whole should be respected and regarded as having certain basic moral and legal rights to live and flourish, independent of its instrumental benefits for human use. Deep ecology is often framed in terms of the idea of a much broader sociality; it recognizes diverse communities of life on Earth that are composed not only through biotic factors but also, where applicable, through ethical relations, that is, the valuing of other beings as more than just resources. It is described as "deep" because it is regarded as looking more deeply into the reality of humanity's relationship with the natural world, arriving at philosophically more profound conclusions than those of mainstream environmentalism. The movement does not subscribe to anthropocentric environmentalism (which is concerned with conservation of the environment only for exploitation by and for human purposes), since deep ecology is grounded in a different set of philosophical assumptions. Deep ecology takes a holistic view of the world humans live in and seeks to apply to life the understanding that the separate parts of the ecosystem (including humans) function as a whole. The philosophy addresses core principles of different environmental and green movements and advocates a system of environmental ethics advocating wilderness preservation, non-coercive policies encouraging human population decline, and simple living.
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Environmentalism or environmental rights is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement about supporting life, habitats, and surroundings. While environmentalism focuses more on the environmental and nature-related aspects of green ideology and politics, ecologism combines the ideology of social ecology and environmentalism. Ecologism is more commonly used in continental European languages, while environmentalism is more commonly used in English but the words have slightly different connotations.
Anthropocentrism (ˌænθroʊ-poʊ-ˈsɛntrɪzəm; ) is the belief that human beings are the central or most important entity in the universe. The term can be used interchangeably with humanocentrism, and some refer to the concept as human supremacy or human exceptionalism. From an anthropocentric perspective, humankind is seen as separate from nature and superior to it, and other entities (animals, plants, minerals, etc.) are viewed as resources for humans to use. Anthropocentrism interprets or regards the world in terms of human values and experiences.
Ecocentrism (ˌɛkoʊˈsɛntrɪzəm; from Greek: οἶκος oikos, "house" and κέντρον kentron, "center") is a term used by environmental philosophers and ecologists to denote a nature-centered, as opposed to human-centered (i.e. anthropocentric), system of values. The justification for ecocentrism usually consists in an ontological belief and subsequent ethical claim. The ontological belief denies that there are any existential divisions between human and non-human nature sufficient to claim that humans are either (a) the sole bearers of intrinsic value or (b) possess greater intrinsic value than non-human nature.
The class introduces the concept of circular economy and its applications to building design, with a focus on design with reused components, design for disassembly, and life-cycle assessment. The clas
The students will learn the fundamentals in ecology with the goal to perceive the environment beyond its physical and chemical characteristics. Starting from basic concepts, they will acquire mechanis
This course provides the bases to understand material and energy production and consumption processes. Students learn how to develop a material flow analysis and apply it to cases of resource manageme
Delves into urban metabolism, circular economy policies, and material stocks in cities, emphasizing the interplay between environmental assessment and urban functioning.
Delves into urban metabolism, industrial ecology, and sustainable resource management within cities.
Covers Material and Energy Flow Analysis for resource management, urban systems, sustainable urban transition, and resource use dynamics.
This presentation aims to explore the paradoxical interrelationships between land financialization and ecological civilization, using a Chinese case of mountain urbanization driven by the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Chongli, which is only 200 kilometers ...
The provision of decent housing for all is a core sustainable development goal (SDG) and a fundamental human right. However, the construction sector is the world's largest consumer of raw materials, and 40% of global CO2 emissions are attributed to housing ...
This presentation examines the paradoxical relationships between land financialization and ecological civilization, focusing on the case of Chongli, a mountain city co-hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics. Formerly a poverty-stricken mountain area, the Olympic ...