“The term ecology comes from the Greek word oikos, and means ‘the household.’ Ecological responsibility, then, begins at home and expands to fill the entire planet.”
— Jeremy Rifkin
The Cambridge English Dictionary defines ecology as: “the relationships between the air, land, water, animals, plants, etc., usually of a particular area, or the scientific study of this.” The term, ecological responsibility, was introduced by Norwegian philosopher, Arne Naess, in 1973. This responsibility is individual and collective. Many are expanding individual choices made in consideration of the environment to include how businesses and corporations accept ecological responsibilities. Consumer preferences are given to those making positive steps. Click here to read about an example of positive steps in a recent CNBC article.
A January 15, 2019 article, “A New Tactic In The War Against Plastic Waste,” aired by NPR (National Public Radio), highlights the work of Filipino community activist, Froilan Grate. Years of work to rid his community of plastic trash made him realize that the responsibility to prevent the overwhelming plastic pollution of his community and the oceans (8 million tons per year) lies with the corporations utilizing plastic packaging. The shaming of these global corporations through “brand auditing” or identification of the trash producers led to a summit invitation in Washington DC. Click on the article title to read this compelling story.
Ecological responsibility is not just an individual mandate for the future of the planet, it is a corporate mandate as well. Make consumer choices to reinforce that corporate mandate.