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ENVIRONMENT

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LIVING RICHLY IN AN AGE OF LIMITS: Using Deep Ecology for an Abundant Life by Bill Devall. (Gibbs Smith: $21. 95.) Throughout this book, Devall, author of the book, “Deep Ecology,” refers to a phrase of poet Gary Snyder’s: real work, or, essentially, living with integrity, realizing the consequences of our actions and taking responsibility for them. This seems to be a central tenet of deep ecology, which, Devall writes, is “not a movement among academics or intellectuals.” Nor is it a political movement: “We are neither left or right,” Devall quotes the German Green Party, “we are in the vanguard.” He refuses to enter the jobs vs. owls debate. According to Devall, the earth comes first, even before demands for social justice. There is a chapter on living in a metropolis and maintaining some connection to the natural world, but the suggestions vary wildly in practicality from “Remember the season” (quite useful) to “Be a raven, a hawk, a fish in the stream, a decomposer” (maybe a little less useful).

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