Definitions for "Deep Ecology"
Containing little of the science of ecology, deep ecology is a philosophy that gives equal value to human and non-human life. Deep ecologist believe that humans should use natural resources to satisfy only vital needs.
A philosophy that calls for a profound shift in our attitudes and behavior based on voluntary simplicity; rejection of anthropocentric attitudes; intimate contact with nature; decentralization of power; support for cultural and biological diversity; a belief in the sacredness of nature; and direct personal action to protect nature, improve the environment, and bring about fundamental societal change.
The belief that animals and wild areas have value in themselves, and that human value cannot be separated from this, that we are all connected, part of the same web of life. Deep ecologists separate themselves from conventional, or "shallow," ecology, with its instrumental ideology that aims to conserve nature for long-term human use.