Review: Ecologies of the Heart: emotion, belief, and the environment. By E.N. Anderson Reviewed by Mary Brentwood National Marine Fisheries Service Anderson, E.N. Ecologies of the Heart: emotion, belief, and the environment. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. 256pp. US $25.00 hardbound ISBN: 0-19-509010-1. It is human choice, not technology, greed, or population explosion, that has led us to ecological disaster. Human choice, including economic action, is based on strong emotions. Choices are made according to information that is viewed through the eyes of culture. Thus, is E.N. Anderson's basic theme in Ecologies of the Heart. Anderson calls for a system of environmental management that includes ethics and a moral code which builds upon strong human emotions. The author develops his theory by using examples of how culture informs human treatment of the environment. The ancient Chinese art of Feng- shui is a form of landscape planning that views nature as, a society of subtle beings--mystic dragons and tigers in the hills--whose bodies are literally the landscape. (p. 16) Anderson uses Feng-shui as an example of a cosmology, which combines folk belief with empirical observation. This combination becomes a powerful motivator of communities to follow the orderly guidance of Feng-shui in managing landscapes. Northwest Coast Indians incorporate a deep reverence for trees, animals, water, mountains and plants in environmental management. The bark from a cedar is carefully and reverently stripped in one long piece--a cedar tree is never cut for its bark. The spiritual belief of the Northwest Coast Indians is a compelling model for environmental conservation and economic sustainability. Anderson uses these examples, and others, to lead the reader towards a common theme of resource management as a meaningful and emotional interaction with real landscapes. Ancient cultures view nature with respect and an enduring protection. These cultural beliefs serve to conserve and sustain resources for human consumption and, thus,
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