Difference between Deep and Shallow Ecology

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Difference between Shallow and Deep Ecology

Shallow ecology has a shallow outlook on the environment and believes that we should only do something if it is for our interests, for example, we should save ecosystems but only if they are of value to us. The view is completely self-centred. It suggests an anthropocentric approach to ecology and sees environmental issues in terms of human-centred reforms rather than any deep change in relationships between humans and the Earth. The term ‘light green’ has been applied to the beliefs of so-called shallow ecologists. Shallow ecologists believe that different aspects of the natural world are interconnected, so the way that we treat nature should take this into account. Subsequently, they believe that the existing political and economic structures must be transformed so that they place environmental issues at the centre of their concerns. They believe that ecology is largely scientific in nature. Shallow ecologists place humans on a higher level than the rest of the Earth.

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While Deep ecologists take an ecocentric, rather than an anthropocentric approach. The term ‘dark green’ has been used to describe the beliefs of deep ecologists. They see the Earth as a single organism; all of its parts are interrelated. They also propose fundamental changes in the relationship between humans and the rest of the Earth. Deep ecologist believe that humankind has equal status with other species and that environmental protection is worth doing simply because it is with doing, not merely because it satisfies humankind’s desire to live in a more pleasant world. Instead of us thinking about our relationship ...

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