Shallow and deep ecologism

As India continues to grapple with the unrelenting waves, it is necessary to unpack two strands of environmental philosophy that reinvent the relationship between nature and humans — shallow and deep ecologism.

The concept

• The fashionable fight against pollution and resource depletion is shallow ecologism.
  • Exponents of this philosophy believe in continuing our present lifestyle, but with specific tweaks aimed at minimizing the damage to the environment.
• Deep ecologism believes that humans should radically change their relationship with nature.
  • Its proponents reject shallow ecologists for prioritizing humans above other forms of life, and subsequently preserving the environmentally destructive way of life in modern societies.
• A narrow focus on pollution and conservation movements is counterproductive.
• A holistic perspective will acknowledge regional differences and the disparities between under and over-developed nations.
• Heatwaves are known to have been a reality for hundreds of years.
• But the long-term effects of climate change have exacerbated them, making the waves more extreme, frequent and prolonged.

Two styles of ecologism

• The concepts emerged in the 1970s when Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss sought to look beyond the popular pollution and conservation movements to address environmental degradation.
• By placing humans at the center of the environmental crisis, he outlines the difference between the two styles of ecologism.
• Shallow ecologism: also referred to as weak ecologism, it may include the use of vehicles that cause less pollution or ACs that do not release CFCs.
  • This branch of ecologism primarily serves to maintain the lifestyle of those dwelling in developed countries.
• Deep ecologism believes that by sustaining this lifestyle, shallow ecologism further widens the inequalities between countries.
  • Eg: US has only 5% of the world’s population but it accounts for 17% of the world’s energy consumption and is the second-largest consumer of electricity after China.

Objectives of deep ecologism

• Deep ecologism aspires to sustain nature by making large-scale changes to our lifestyle.
• These may include limiting commercial farming of meat to preserve forest areas and reduce the artificial fattening of animals or the reshaping of transport systems that involve the use of internal combustion engines.
• It shifts the attention from pollution and conservation narratives to robust policy formulation and implementation.
• It calls for a re-evaluation of the ‘survival of the fittest doctrine.’
  • Survival of the fittest should be understood through the human ability to cooperate and coexist with nature, as opposed to exploiting or dominating it.
• It prioritizes a ‘live and let live’ attitude over an ‘either you or me’ approach.

The political potential of ecologism

• Both strands of ecologism draw from different frameworks, including socialism, anarchism, feminism, conservatism and sometimes even fascism. Deep ecologism in particular borrows from socialism.
• When projects are only implemented to solve pollution, it generates evils of a different kind.
• For instance, the installation of pollution control devices may increase the cost of living, leading to an increase in class differences.
• Ethically responsible ecologism: operates in the interest of all economic classes.
• Environment may become more vulnerable when decisions are strongly influenced by majority rule, without taking local interests into consideration.
• Decentralising decision-making: A chain consisting of a local board, a municipal council, a state-wide institution, a national government institution, a coalition of nations, and a global institution can be reduced to one made up of a local board, a nation-wide institution, and a global institution
  • It will strengthen local autonomy.
• The responsibility of solving the climate crisis falls on policy-makers as much as it does on scientists and ecologists.

Exam track

Prelims take away

• Shallow ecologism
• Deep ecologism