We intend to stay oriented toward the definition of “Ecozoic” offered by Thomas Berry.
“The Ecozoic era is a geologic era of mutually enhancing human-Earth relations” (glossary of The Universe Story).
We live in very dark, destructive, biocidal, geocidal times, with no guarantee of survival. Having a past does not guarantee a future.
We are the living edge of a 13.7 billion year Universe-energy creative thrust and a 4.5 billion year Earth-energy creative thrust. So, we do what we can, while we can, to prepare for the dawning, life-sustaining, new geologic era called the Ecozoic era.
As a human family we are making great changes. Thinker, writer, scholar, activist Joanna Macy says we are doing three things simultaneously:
- slowing down and stopping the destruction
- inventing and building life-sustaining new ways
- making a deep shift in values (and cosmology) to permanently support the new ways
EcozoicTimes.Com recognizes the need to stop destruction, and invent new widgets and ways. Yes, yes, yes, we must support the local ecology center, and compost, and insulate the house, and recycle, and ride the bike, and change-out the light bulbs, and grow food, and protest…. We celebrate, support, and are guided by those who are drawn to that type of Great Work. Ecological and environmental practices are necessary but not sufficient.
EcozoicTimes.com also recognizes the need for deep, nuanced, honest, reality-based, sober, and clear-headed critiques of how we got into the present predicament. Much of Thomas Berry’s work including his coining the term Ecozoic is a critique of western civilization. Others who offer critiques include Derrick Jensen, Jerry Mander, Helena Norberg Hodge, Charlene Spretnak, Richard Heinberg, Anne Wilson Schaef, and David Korten. There are many others. We celebrate, support, and are guided by those who are drawn to that type of Great Work. Critiques are necessary but not sufficient.
Our focus is farther “up stream”, on the deeper values and cosmology that creates the widgets and ways in the first place, on the generative place/source/energy/ interaction/relationship(s) from whence culture comes. It is a big challenge to tease this out. Thomas disarmingly and colloquially calls it the “story”. He says we are “between stories”. We at EcozoicTimes.com are guided by big, deep structures like archetypes, and innate evolutionary powers and forces. We celebrate the unique subjectivity of each “thing” and being, but we always try to link it to the mysterious, creative forces from whence they came. And to which they will return.
We believe humans are as integral and important to Earth’s thriving as the Colorado River of North America, the tropical rain forests of Brazil, or the snow leopard of Asia.
While we celebrate the man, Thomas Berry, who brought us these insights, we also celebrate how his ideas are moving forward in the world.
To fulfill this mission we accept written submissions, both long and short, that address these ideas and topics. Here are some. There are many more.
- how have the visions of Thomas Berry activated you (your organization, your art, your organizing, etc)
- what is the difference between environmentalism, sustainability, and Ecozoic
- examples of mutually enhancing human-Earth relations
- examples of increased complexity, subjectivity, communion, cooperation
- examples of Ecozoic living
- resources
- what is meant by Thomas’s “four wisdoms”
- explain “interiority” and how it relates to spirituality and the power/dynamics of the universe
- how “mutual” must “mutual” be to be considered “Ecozoic”
- Universe Story, New Cosmology, New Story
- The person & contributions of Thomas Berry in relation to the Universe Story in relation to the Ecozoic Era
