MODULE 3: Back to nature

 AGENDA

1. Kevin DeLuca, "A Wilderness Manifesto"
2. Reports
3. Review for midterm 

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Kevin DeLuca, "A Wilderness Environmentalism Manifesto: Contesting the Infinite Self Absorption of Human Beings" (2007)

1. A polemic against the environmental justice movement
2. Kevin DeLuca, professor of communication, University of Utah
3. Written in 2007, so some info out of date
4. He mentions William Cronon--we will read him in the wilderness module

Two types of environmentalism

"Environmental justice movement" or EJM--focused on "our environment"
in the sense of the conditions we live in

"Green environmentalism"--focused on "the environment"
in the sense of nature, ecosystems, wilderness, wildlife

DeLuca's claims (more detail)

1. EJM and GE have different goals
• EJM: fairness to specific groups
• GE: preserving nature
2. Their goals are often in conflict
• EJM: indigenous rights to hunt polar bears
• GE: protecting polar bears
• Another example (EJM on the side of indigenous Masai, GE on the side of African wildlife)
3. EJM is taking over environmental organizations (reporters will assess)
• Sierra Club
• Green Corps
• Stop Oil
• Sunrise
4. EJM and GE differ on solutions
• EJM wants to empower local groups--for justice reasons
• GE prefers the most effective solution, often national
5. EJM has been very successful at gaining governmental support
• Example: Biden's Climate Initiative & Justice 40 (see Bullard in the picture below)
• We will discuss next week
6. Bottom line
• Environmentalists should be green environmentalists
• EJM should thrive, too, but as a human justice movement

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Review for midterm