Green politics

Green politics, or Eco politics, is a political ideology that aims to foster an

ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, nonviolence,
social justice and grassroots democracy.
It is a combination of ideology and commitment. It rejects the anthropo-
centric approach and promotes eco-centric approach.
Green Politics is based on natural good, and by the ordinary people,
for the ordinary people. It focuses on the survival of whole natural system.

Principles of Green politics:

 there has to be ecological wisdom and environmental consciousness

 there has to be sustainability
 there has to be participatory democracy
 there has to be cultural and politico-economic justice and parity
 there has to be social and gender justice
 there has to be equal rights for all and respect for human rights
 there has to be non-violence in all spheres of life, etc.

Human Ecology
 First used by Robert Park and Earnest Burgess in ‘Introduction to the
Science of Sociology’.
Human ecology is the study of the interactions of humans with their
environments, or the study of the distribution and abundance of humans. Human
ecology is an approach to the study of human behavior marked by two
commitments. First, human ecologists think that humans should be studied
living systems operating in complex environments. The human sciences are
balkanized into several social sciences, humanistic, and human biological
disciplines. Ecologists are used to thinking that systemic nature of individual
organisms and populations of organisms mean that we typically have to
understand how diverse parts of the system operate together to produce
behavior. The traditional human science disciplines take people apart; human
ecologists endeavor to put us back together. Breaking complex problems down
to operationally tractable parts is a great strategy, but only so long as some are
committed to putting them back together in the end (Cohen, 1968) Second,
human ecologists think that humans are subject to very similar ecological and
evolutionary processes as any other species. Of course, humans are unique, and
this fact has important consequences. However, we think that the deep rifts
between human biologists and social scientists (and between scientists and
humanists for that matter) are a deeply embarrassing scandal that honest
scholars are obligated to repair as expeditiously as possible (Richerson and
McEvoy, 1976).
Human ecology is the systematic application of ecological concepts, principles,
theory, and research methods to study human populations and communities.
Human ecology examines the way human-resource relationships affect human
adaptation to diverse types of the ecosystem such as desert, aquatic, forest, and
others (Abruzzi, 2003). It also scrutinizes the role that resource requirement
needed to withstand a population play in shaping local differences in behavior,
residential distribution, household composition and structure, community, social
and political organizations, inter-population relationships, and other social
behaviour. Human ecology also examines contemporary ecological concerns
that result from population growth and industrial development.
The history of human ecology in sociology is complex. In fact, concepts of
human ecology in sociology evolved from the classical concepts of competition.
The social area analysis focused on the population structure (organization) in
relation to the total environment. In other words, it is the ecological analysis of
the social organization.

Radical Ecology
Radical ecology focuses on the solutions to environmental crisis which are more
beneficial than market incentives or technological fixes. Radical ecology is an
evaluative approach that works through thought and praxis, and focuses on how
we can really resist the destructive process of industrial growth and socio-
economic system so as to bring the changes which helps to achieve new strategy
for living which follows the natural world. It involves the work and experiments
in new economics, fixed ideological position, process-oriented science,
revitalised spirituality and hierarchical social forms. It is thus not a unified
stream of thought that works from or towards a fixed ideology. It is a way of
thinking that searches within a certain ‘bandwidth’ how a radical transformation
of human ‘being in the world' can be brought about, that would allow humans
and non-human beings both to flourish. From the perspective of Radical
Ecology such flourishing can only happen if we focus on the ecological or
interrelated nature of life, without losing sight of the particular needs of all
species. In that sense it is a form of Deep Ecology that is not satisfied with
finding (shallow) legal, technical and institutional solutions to the ecological
crisis. Radical Ecology stresses the need for a change in consciousness, but, also
for the need of a transformation of humanity’s concrete ways of acting and
understanding itself. It is here that the concept of ahimsa as it is understood in
nonviolence thinking might have something to offer.

Deep Ecology
Deep ecology is defined as environmental and ecological philosophy that
promotes inherent value of living beings disregarding of their utility to human
requirements and also reconstruction of modern human societies in accordance
with these ideas. Like the social ecologists, deep ecology distrusts capitalism
and industrial technology and favours decentralized forms of social
organization. The phrase “deep ecology” was given by Arne Naess, a
Norwegian philosopher, in 1972 on an isolated region of Hallingskarvet
Mountain in central Norway where he thought, meditated and wrote. Deep
ecology is an environmental philosophy and social movement based in the
belief that humans must radically change the way they relate to nature. Rather
than valuing nature only because it is useful to human beings, deep ecology
believes in the inherent value of nature. It considers humans no more important
than other species and suggests readjustment of the relation of humans and
nature.
Deep ecology is based on the following principles:
• Inherent value- The flourishing life on the earth has value in itself.
• Diversity- Diversity of life forms contribute to the understanding of these
values.
• Vital Needs-Humans can fulfil their vital needs but have no right to deplete
this diversity.
• Population-The flourishing of human life and cultures is compatible with a
substantial decrease of the human population. The flourishing of nonhuman life
requires such a decrease.
• Human Interference- The situation is rapidly worsening due to huge human
interference with the nonhuman world.
• Policy Change- The basic economic, ideological and technological and
structural policies are required to be changed.
• Quality of Life- The direction of change should be towards increasing life
quality instead of increasing higher standards of living.
• Obligation of Action- There is an obligation to implement the essential
changes.

Social Ecology
Social ecology is a school of thought which lays emphasis on small-scale
economic structures and the social dimensions of the ecological crisis. Its major
proponent was Murray Bookchin. “Social ecologists trace the causes of
environmental degradation to the existence of unjust, hierarchical relationships
in human society, which they see as endemic to the social structures of modern
capitalist states. The followers of social ecology consider that social
relationships shape the western ideology of influencing nature. Social ecology
believes in the interdependence of the socio-cultural domains and biophysical
domains. The roots of social ecology lie in the interconnections it forms
between society and ecology. Most of the present ecological issues arise from
deep-seated social problems and these cannot be understood and explained
without understanding of reality of our society and the impracticality within it.
Social ecology stresses direct relation of the human and non-human world, the
society which is based on ecological principles; has unity in diversity, is free
from hierarchical organisation and respects mutual interrelationship in every
aspect of life as a suitable alternative. It is an appeal for social reformation and
moral regeneration among ecological lines. Bookchin has a strong opinion
about the transformation of human-nature relationship if there could be change
in human society. The basis of social ecology is that “ecological problems arise
from deep-seated social problems and ecological problems cannot be
understood, much less resolved, without facing social issues.” According to
Bookchin, the root causes of environmental problems are the market economy
and the capitalist system which include trade for profit, industrial expansion,
and the identification of progress with corporate self-interest.
Core ideas of Social Ecology
 An ecological philosophy
Social Ecology maintains that human beings and human society are not
“separate” from nature, but are developments of natural evolution. We seek to
understand nature dialectically, as an unfolding historical process of continuous
change and development towards expanding diversity, interdependence, and
subjectivity.
 A social critique and social analysis
Destructive relationships between ourselves and the rest of nature are not innate
to human beings, but are instead outcomes of the particular social relations
structuring our society. We see ecological problems as social problems, with the
domination of human beings being at the root of attempts to dominate nature.
 A revolutionary political theory
The immense potential of humanity lies in the fact that our social relations are
infinitely malleable, such that we can transform society to reharmonize
ourselves with the rest of nature. This will require an end to hierarchy and
domination, achieved through a social revolution to reorganize society along
directly democratic and communistic lines.
‘SOCIAL ECOLOGY’ – Radha Kamal Mukherjee
Harmonious development of man requires that he should live with other
members of the community and also with nature /environment or ecology.
Radhakamal Mukherjee's contribution is called 'social ecology'. Social ecology,
as a discipline, requires a cooperation of members of sciences including Social
Sciences. The geological, geographical and biological factors work together to
produce an ecological zone. Human or social ecology is the study of all aspects
of reciprocal relationships between man and his environment. Radha Kamal
Mukherjee explains the scope of human ecology as a 'synoptic study of
the balance of plants, animals and human communities' - which are systems of
correlated working parts in an organisation. American pioneers in ecological
studies did not give adequate attention to the factor of culture in their
conception of ecological relations. However, Mukherjee argued that ecological
relations among human beings are very important. In case of human beings
cultural norms play a very influential role - Human Ecology highlights this fact.
In the formation of an ecological unit, social habits, values and traditions as
well as individuals having the same or similar values possesses social solidarity.
Social ecology stresses the ever complex give-and- take relationship between
man and the region he lives in(environment). Every region offers certain things
to living organisms the influence of which can never be overruled. Each society
tries to adapt and adjust with available ecological resources and while doing so
they develop suitable roles and performance of the members of their own
society. This way grows the customs, values, norms, beliefs of society which in
turn influences the ecology as well. Thus an interaction between the two ensures
survival of the society and the environment. There is a definite link between
Ecology and Society. The development of ecological zone is the challenges of
the environment and how the people who established a settlement response to
this challenge in a coordinated and balanced manner. Such an attempt weakens
or destroys social fabric (relation between people and their environment). For
example, in building industrial plants or constructing irrigation dams in India
very often people of the concerned locations are moved to new settlements. It
seriously affects community life of the people. As people live in an area they
develop a symbiotic(mutual) relationship with the Ecology of the environment
of that area. In the new situation they may fail to develop that kind of intimate
relationship with the surrounding. Mukherjee stood for a balance between
economic growth and ecological fitness. Traditional crafts and skills like
knitting, sewing, weaving or engraving should be encouraged for attaining
economic growth of a region without any great damage to its ecology.
Deforestation has created great havoc and caused huge destruction to the
ecology/ environment. Radha Kamal Mukherjee cautioned his countrymen
against it.