Statement of Commitment to Ecocentrism

2018

O compromisso pró-ecológico (CPE) compreende uma relação de caráter positivo que as pessoas estabelecem com o meio ambiente, manifestada por via de práticas de cuidado ambiental. Para aprofundar o conhecimento sobre esse fenômeno psicossocioambiental, o objetivo foi explorar as definições sobre o CPE a partir do ponto de vista de pessoas comprometidas pró-ecologicamente, e as concepções de meio ambiente que o embasam. Pessoas indicadas como comprometidas pró-ecologicamente (N = 29; idades entre 23 e 79 anos) discorreram livremente em entrevistas sobre seu CPE, sobre meio ambiente e indicaram outras pessoas avaliadas como sendo comprometidas. O corpus foi submetido à análise de conteúdo interpretativa. Identificamos mudanças nos entendimentos de meio ambiente, que se distinguiu do conceito de natureza, e de CPE atreladas aos contextos sócio-históricos e às experiências pessoais. Foram mencionadas práticas relativas às escolhas cotidianas, saúde, conscientização e relações de caráter ...

2009

The making of commitments is often used as an intervention aimed at increasing pro-environmental behavior. Research shows that when people commit to changing their environmental behaviors, they tend to adhere to their commitments. In this dissertation it is investigated whether commitment making is effective in improving agricultural nature conservation and with that, environmental quality of farm lands.

Ecological Citizen, 2017

It has been noted that (early childhood) experiences with Nature enhance environmental values (Wells et al., 2007). These findings suggest that Nature activities in childhood and youth are key pathways that lead people to take an interest in Nature and later work for its protection. Yet, early exposure alone does not explain why some people who grow up next to forests do not try to stop the logging, while others from the same villages do. This question of why some come to ecocentrism and some do not is fascinating. Like others, I have no perfect answer. In the documentary film If A Tree Falls: A Story of The Earth Liberation Front, environmental activist Daniel McGowan reflects that he grew up as a typical ‘city boy’. He came to care about Nature from watching a film about deforestation when he was in his twenties (discussed in Kopnina, 2014). It appears difficult to discern why some individuals choose to stand up for Nature and others do not, this commitment seems to vary individually, independent of culture, as I describe in my articles and books. In reflecting what wilderness means for me, I have three lived experiences to relate.

Sustainability, 2021

This article proposes a model that describes and frames sustainability commitment. The model is based on didactic theory and pragmatic philosophy and is informed by several empirical studies on environmental and sustainability education (ESE) practice. The intention is for the model to serve as a critical perspective on ESE practices in secondary and upper secondary schools, and to offer a framework for the development of future practice with emphasis on teachers’ choices of content and teaching methods. The model suggests that a sound commitment is situated in the intersection of the intellectual, emotional, and practical aspects of sustainability. It is argued that: The intellectual aspect is essential for giving the commitment scientific rigor and a critical stance; emotions are vital for students to become dedicated; and skills to carry out appropriate actions for change is necessary for playing an active role in providing a sustainable transformation of society.

Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, 2012

2018

Existing literature on the topic of individual commitment to social movements focuses primarily on how the internal dynamics of those movements foster commitment. In so doing, scholars have largely ignored the ways that intra- and extra- movement mechanisms work in tandem to reinforce commitment in social movements and social movement communities. This thesis draws on original data gathered through participant observation and interviews at a Japanese Ecovillage to speak to the central theoretical question: How is individual commitment to social movement communities—especially those that resemble total institutions—sustained? Building on the work of Kanter (1968, 1972) I argue that four types of mutually-reinforcing mechanisms sustain commitment in high-commitment social movement communities: 1) quotidian rituals and group practices, 2) individual investment and sacrifice, 3) charismatic leadership, and 4) embeddedness within transnational movement networks. I suggest that this fourt...

Arve et Lac Publications, 2016

The latest news from our planet is threatening: climate change, pollution, forest loss, species extinctions. All these words are frightening and there is no sign of improvement. Simple logic leads to the conclusion that humanity has to react, for its own survival. But at the scale of a human being, it is less obvious. Organizing one’s daily life in order to preserve the environment implies self-questioning, changing habits, sacrificing some comfort. In one word, it is an effort. Then, what justifies such an effort? The personal choice to act in order to preserve our environment is often made by simple altruism. This choice is based on our love for other human beings: our love for the others grounds our effort. Our moral values, our ethical reflections and our religious beliefs are the deep core of these choices. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15.12 NRSV). This Charter shows the moral and religious values that can help us react regarding the current environmental crisis and it should empower us to transcend the ideas of effort and sacrifice in order to consider the respect of the shared house, in a prophetic fulfillment of the being.

Nursing Outlook, 1998

Ecological Citizen, 2017

Ecocentrism is the broadest term for worldviews that recognize intrinsic value in all lifeforms and ecosystems themselves, including their abiotic components. Anthropocentrism, in contrast, values other lifeforms and ecosystems insofar as they are valuable for human well-being, preferences and interests. Herein, the authors examine the roots of ecocentrism and discuss its mixed history of international recognition. They argue that non-human nature has intrinsic value irrespective of human preferences or valuation, and they refute the claim that ecocentrism is misanthropic. They then summarize four key examples from the academic literature in which anthropocentrism fails to provide an ethic adequate for respecting and protecting planet Earth and its inhabitants. The authors conclude that ecocentrism is essential for solving our unprecedented environmental crisis, arguing its importance from four perspectives: ethical, evolutionary, spiritual and ecological. They contend that a social transformation towards ecocentrism is not only an ethical but a practical imperative, and they urge support for ecocentric understanding and practices.