Redefining Nature

Author : Roy Ellen,Katsuyoshi Fukui
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 503 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2021-01-07
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9781000323863

Get Book

Redefining Nature by Roy Ellen,Katsuyoshi Fukui Pdf

How can anthropology improve our understanding of the interrelationship between nature and culture?- What can anthropology contribute to practical debates which depend on particular definitions of nature, such as that concerning sustainable development?Humankind has evolved over several million years by living in and utilizing 'nature' and by assimilating it into 'culture'. Indeed, the technological and cultural advancement of the species has been widely acknowledged to rest upon human domination and control of nature. Yet, by the 1960s, the idea of culture in confrontation with nature was being challenged by science, philosophy and the environmental movement. Anthropology is increasingly concerned with such issues as they become more urgent for humankind as a whole. This important book reviews the current state of the concepts of 'nature' we use, both as scientific devices and ideological constructs, and is organised around three themes:- nature as a cultural construction;- the cultural management of the environment; and- relations between plants, animals and humans.

Author : Brendon Larson
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 356 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2011-06-07
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9780300151541

Get Book

Metaphors for Environmental Sustainability by Brendon Larson Pdf

Scientists turn to metaphors to formulate and explain scientific concepts, but an ill-considered metaphor can lead to social misunderstandings and counterproductive policies, Brendon Larson observes in this stimulating book. He explores how metaphors can entangle scientific facts with social values and warns that, particularly in the environmental realm, incautious metaphors can reinforce prevailing values that are inconsistent with desirable sustainability outcomes. "Metaphors for Environmental Sustainability" draws on four case studies--two from nineteenth-century evolutionary science, and two from contemporary biodiversity science--to reveal how metaphors may shape the possibility of sustainability. Arguing that scientists must assume greater responsibility for their metaphors, and that the rest of us must become more critically aware of them, the author urges more critical reflection on the social dimensions and implications of metaphors while offering practical suggestions for choosing among alternative scientific metaphors.

Author : Pinkaew Leungaramsri
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 688 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 2000
Category : Human ecology
ISBN : OCLC:46775785

Get Book

Redefining Nature by Pinkaew Leungaramsri Pdf

Author : Carolyn Merchant
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 306 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2013-03-12
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9781136161247

Get Book

Reinventing Eden by Carolyn Merchant Pdf

This revised edition of Carolyn Merchant’s classic Reinventing Eden has been updated with a new foreword and afterword. Visionary quests to return to the Garden of Eden have shaped Western Culture. This book traces the idea of rebuilding the primeval garden from its origins to its latest incarnations and offers a bold new way to think about the earth.

Author : Timothy Morton
Publisher : Harvard University Press
Page : 262 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2009-09-15
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9780674266162

Get Book

Ecology without Nature by Timothy Morton Pdf

In Ecology without Nature, Timothy Morton argues that the chief stumbling block to environmental thinking is the image of nature itself. Ecological writers propose a new worldview, but their very zeal to preserve the natural world leads them away from the "nature" they revere. The problem is a symptom of the ecological catastrophe in which we are living. Morton sets out a seeming paradox: to have a properly ecological view, we must relinquish the idea of nature once and for all. Ecology without Nature investigates our ecological assumptions in a way that is provocative and deeply engaging. Ranging widely in eighteenth-century through contemporary philosophy, culture, and history, he explores the value of art in imagining environmental projects for the future. Morton develops a fresh vocabulary for reading "environmentality" in artistic form as well as content, and traces the contexts of ecological constructs through the history of capitalism. From John Clare to John Cage, from Kierkegaard to Kristeva, from The Lord of the Rings to electronic life forms, Ecology without Nature widens our view of ecological criticism, and deepens our understanding of ecology itself. Instead of trying to use an idea of nature to heal what society has damaged, Morton sets out a radical new form of ecological criticism: "dark ecology."

Author : Richard L. Knight,Courtney White
Publisher : Island Press
Page : 340 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2008-11-07
Category : Science
ISBN : 1597264385

Get Book

Conservation for a New Generation by Richard L. Knight,Courtney White Pdf

In hundreds of watersheds and communities across the United States, conservation is being reinvented and invigorated by collaborative efforts between federal, state, and local governments working with nongovernmental organizations and private landowners, and fueled by economic incentives, to promote both healthy natural communities and healthy human communities. Conservation for a New Generation captures those efforts with chapters that explain the new landscape of conservation along with case studies that illustrate these new approaches. The book brings together leading voices in the field of environmental conservation—Lynne Sherrod, Curt Meine, Daniel Kemmis, Luther Propst, Jodi Hilty, Peter Forbes, and many others—to offer fourteen chapters and twelve case studies that • demonstrate the benefits of government agencies partnering with diverse stakeholders; • explore how natural resources management is evolving; • discuss emerging practices for conservation, including conservation planning, ecological restoration, valuing ecosystem services, and using economic incentives; • promote cooperation on natural resources issues that have in the past been divisive. Throughout, contributors focus on the fundamental truth that unites human and land communities: as one prospers, so does the other; as one declines, so too will the other. The book illustrates how natural resources management that emphasizes building strong relationships results in outcomes that are beneficial to both people and land.

Author : Brendon Larson
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 319 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2011-06-28
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780300151534

Get Book

Metaphors for Environmental Sustainability by Brendon Larson Pdf

DIVScientists turn to metaphors to formulate and explain scientific concepts, but an ill-considered metaphor can lead to social misunderstandings and counterproductive policies, Brendon Larson observes in this stimulating book. He explores how metaphors can entangle scientific facts with social values and warns that, particularly in the environmental realm, incautious metaphors can reinforce prevailing values that are inconsistent with desirable sustainability outcomes. Metaphors for Environmental Sustainability draws on four case studies--two from nineteenth-century evolutionary science, and two from contemporary biodiversity science--to reveal how metaphors may shape the possibility of sustainability. Arguing that scientists must assume greater responsibility for their metaphors, and that the rest of us must become more critically aware of them, the author urges more critical reflection on the social dimensions and implications of metaphors while offering practical suggestions for choosing among alternative scientific metaphors./div

Author : Emma Marris
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Page : 226 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 2011-09-06
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9781608194551

Get Book

Rambunctious Garden by Emma Marris Pdf

“Remarkable . . . Emma Marris explores a paradox that is increasingly vexing the science of ecology, namely that the only way to have a pristine wilderness is to manage it intensively.” -The Wall Street Journal A paradigm shift is roiling the environmental world. For decades people have unquestioningly accepted the idea that our goal is to preserve nature in its pristine, pre-human state. But many scientists have come to see this as an outdated dream that thwarts bold new plans to save the environment and prevents us from having a fuller relationship with nature. Humans have changed the landscapes they inhabit since prehistory, and climate change means even the remotest places now bear the fingerprints of humanity. Emma Marris argues convincingly that it is time to look forward and create the "rambunctious garden," a hybrid of wild nature and human management. In this optimistic book, readers meet leading scientists and environmentalists and visit imaginary Edens, designer ecosystems, and Pleistocene parks. Marris describes innovative conservation approaches, including rewilding, assisted migration, and the embrace of so-called novel ecosystems. Rambunctious Garden is short on gloom and long on interesting theories and fascinating narratives, all of which bring home the idea that we must give up our romantic notions of pristine wilderness and replace them with the concept of a global, half-wild rambunctious garden planet, tended by us.

Author : Michael E. Soulé,Gary Lease
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 216 pages
File Size : 44,9 Mb
Release : 1995
Category : Nature
ISBN : UOM:39015032277389

Get Book

Reinventing Nature? by Michael E. Soulé,Gary Lease Pdf

Reinventing Nature? is an interdisciplinary investigation of how perceptions and conceptions of nature affect both the individual experience and society's management of nature. Leading thinkers from a variety of fields - philosophy sociology, zoology, history, ethnobiology and others - address the conflict between the perception and reality of nature, each from a different perspective.

Author : Ganesh Shivakoti,Ujjwal Pradhan,Helmi Helmi
Publisher : Elsevier
Page : 416 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 2016-09-01
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780128104705

Get Book

Redefining Diversity and Dynamics of Natural Resources Management in Asia, Volume 1 by Ganesh Shivakoti,Ujjwal Pradhan,Helmi Helmi Pdf

Redefining Diversity and Dynamics of Natural Resources Management in Asia, Volumes 1-4 brings together scientific research and policy issues across various topographical area in Asia to provide a comprehensive overview of the issues facing the region. Sustainable Natural Resources Management in Dynamic Southeast Asia, Volume 1, pulls together regional experts in the field to look specifically at sustainability issues across the region, to see what has been implemented, what the impacts have been, and what other options are available. In the race to be a developed region, many Southeast Asian countries have foregone natural resources through haphazard use. As a result, the people are faced with numerous environmental challenges, particularly deforestation and forest degradation, biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, reduction in soil quality, and decreases in the quantity of available water. Community-based forest management is the involvement of local communities in the protection, conservation and management of public forests to prevent degradation through sustainable practices while still responding to the basic social and economic needs of local populations. When the people who depend on forest resources for their livelihoods are jointly responsible for managing and protecting them, they tend to do so in a more sustainable manner by focusing on the long-term benefits rather than the immediate short-term gains. However, when tenure rights are weak, unclear, or insecure, or offer limited benefits, people are incited in extracting more immediate benefits, resulting in suboptimal forest management and the reduction of carbon stocks. Features case studies that cover issues such as rising levels of deforestation, forest degradation, regional food security, ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss, conflicts over natural resource use, water management issues, and impacts on local communities Includes contributions from local researchers who are dealing with these issues first hand, and on a daily basis Includes a comparative review on REDD+ implementation in different communities Focuses on sustainability issues across the region

Author : Shivani Jha
Publisher : Partridge Publishing
Page : 120 pages
File Size : 44,7 Mb
Release : 2015-05-18
Category : Literary Collections
ISBN : 9781482844191

Get Book

Ecocritical Readings Rethinking Nature and Environment by Shivani Jha Pdf

Through a reading of selected literary texts Shivani Jha integrates nature and society and demonstrates the outcome when one is severed from the other. The first two chapters on The Hungry Tide and Walden take into account the dispossessed aspect of both the human and the nonhuman worlds and point towards environmental conservation and sustainable development. The next two chapters based on the works of T.S Eliot and Herman Melville highlight the anthropocentric attitude of humans, the havoc it wreaks on the nonhuman world and the impact it has on the human psyche. The last two chapters are readings in deep ecology that dwell on works of Wordsworth and Hemingway directing the readers gaze to the pristine, natural world and the harmonious relationship that the humans are capable of having with it. The focus of the book is on reviewing the relationship of humans and environment and the need for recognizing the rights of the nonhumansthe aim that underlies the theoretical paradigm of ecocriticism.

Author : Eric Higgs
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 368 pages
File Size : 44,9 Mb
Release : 2003-04-25
Category : Science
ISBN : 0262582260

Get Book

Nature by Design by Eric Higgs Pdf

Ecological restoration is the process of repairing human damage to ecosystems. It involves reintroducing missing plants and animals, rebuilding soils, eliminating hazardous substances, ripping up roads, and returning natural processes such as fire and flooding to places that thrive on their regular occurrence. Thousands of restoration projects take place in North America every year. In Nature by Design, Eric Higgs argues that profound philosophical and cultural shifts accompany these projects. He explores the ethical and philosophical bases of restoration and the question of what constitutes good ecological restoration. Higgs explains how and why the restoration movement came about, where it fits into the array of approaches to human relationships with the land, and how it might be used to secure a sustainable future. Some environmental philosophers and activists worry that restoration will dilute preservation and conservation efforts and lead to an even deeper technological attitude toward nature. They ask whether even well-conceived restoration projects are in fact just expressions of human will. Higgs prefaces his responses to such concerns by distinguishing among several types of ecological restoration. He also describes a growing gulf between professionals and amateurs. Higgs finds much merit in criticism about technological restoration projects, which can cause more damage than they undo. These projects often ignore the fact that changing one thing in a complex system can change the whole system. For restoration projects to be successful, Higgs argues, people at the community level must be engaged. These focal restorations bring communities together, helping volunteers develop a dedication to place and encouraging democracy.

Author : Joe Whitworth
Publisher : Island Press
Page : 248 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 2015-09-08
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9781610916141

Get Book

Quantified by Joe Whitworth Pdf

In Quantified, Whitworth draws lessons from the world's most tech-savvy, high-impact organizations to show how we can make real gains for the environment. The principles of his approach, dubbed quantified conservation, will be familiar to any thriving entrepreneur: situational awareness, bold outcomes, innovation and technology, data and analytics, and gain-focused investment. As President of The Freshwater Trust, Whitworth has put quantified conservation into practice, pioneering the model of a "do-tank" that is dramatically changing how rivers can get restored across the United States. The stories in Quantified highlight the most precious of resources--water--but they apply to any environmental effort. Whether in the realm of policy, agriculture, business, or philanthropy, Whitworth is charting a new course for conservation.

Author : Scott D. Evans
Publisher : University of Delaware Press
Page : 180 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 1999
Category : Philosophy of nature
ISBN : 0874136962

Get Book

Samuel Johnson's "general Nature" by Scott D. Evans Pdf

This study illuminates the importance and meaning of the term author in eighteenth-century discourse from the perspective of its prominent usage by Samuel Johnson. It explains Johnson's employment of nature in his periodical essays, his qualified endorsement of the new science, and his commendation of Shakespeare's drama and other literary works on the basis of their just representation of general nature.

Author : Sharon M. Harris
Publisher : Univ. of Tennessee Press
Page : 232 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 1995
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 087049869X

Get Book

Redefining the Political Novel by Sharon M. Harris Pdf

While critical studies of the American political novel date from the 1920s, such considerations of the genre have failed, whether wittingly or unwittingly, to recognize works by women. The exclusion is usually based on a distinction between "social" novels and "political" novels, and the result is an understanding of the "political" as a largely male province. In this thought-provoking collection of essays, the contributors seek not simply to add works by women to the canon of political novels but, rather, to demand a conceptual revolution - one that questions the very precepts on which the canon is based. This redefinition of the political novel takes many factors into account, including gender, race, and class and their relation to our most basic conceptions of literary and aesthetic value.