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Papers by Mark Hathaway

The Palgrave Handbook on Learning for Transformation, pp. 279-300. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. , 2022

This chapter explores the role that reorienting connections play in transformative learning and t... more This chapter explores the role that reorienting connections play in transformative learning and the formation of ecological consciousness. Unlike Mezirow's disorienting dilemmas, these reorienting connections are not marked by feelings of shame, fear, anger, or guilt, but rather by self-transcendent emotions (Stellar et al., 2017) like love, compassion, wonder, gratitude, and a sense of connection or an expanded self.

To explore how these reorienting connections may shift perceptions and nurture transformation, the chapter examines a study involving undergraduate environmental studies students who, over the course of two months, engaged in a series of ecological practices accompanied by journaling designed to enhance ecological consciousness, including a form of intersubjective meditation based on Sewall’s (1995, 1999) skill of ecological perception.

Global Health and Global Health Ethics (2nd edition), 2021

This chapter explores the ethical challenge posed by ecocide—the destruction of Earth’s life-sust... more This chapter explores the ethical challenge posed by ecocide—the destruction of Earth’s life-sustaining systems—employing a variety of lenses that go beyond the traditional purview of western ethics. Using ecopsychology, the relationship between separative consciousness and exploitation is considered. The chapter proposes that addressing the ecological crisis will entail—not only technological, political, and economic changes—but also moving away from a worldview rooted in separative consciousness, instrumental thinking, hierarchy, exploitation, and a focus on competition. This transformation can also be understood in terms of changing our collective story towards a narrative that emphasises interconnection, cooperation, meaning, community, and the flourishing of life. Drawing on insights from Indigenous traditions (sumak kaysay/buen vivir and the good life/mino-bimaadiziwin) as well as global South perspectives (Bhutan’s gross domestic happiness and the Earth Charter), the nature of living well as a basis for health ethics is explored. Finally, key facets of pathways towards integral health are examined including decolonisation and re-indigenisation, reconnection and reinhabitation with the land (with insights from animistic and eco-phenomenological perspectives), and movements for regenerative sustainability (the permaculture and Transition movements).

This paper explores how industrial agriculture is a key contributor to many ecological problems a... more This paper explores how industrial agriculture is a key contributor to many ecological problems and how redesigning agricultural systems using agroecological principles and methods could address many of these problems. Agriculture uses 85% of freshwater and, directly or indirectly, produces nearly half of all greenhouse gas emissions. Industrial agriculture accounts for a large proportion of these ecological costs and also depends on high energy use and toxic chemicals. Agroecology presents an alternative paradigm of production based on ecological principles such as recycling wastes, minimizing energy and water use, maximizing genetic diversity, regenerating soil and increasing its carbon content, integrating livestock and crops into a holistic system, and promoting other beneficial biological synergies. Moreover, agroecological methods have the potential to actually boost production and farm incomes, particularly in the global South. Permaculture, perhaps the most widely practiced form of agroecology, also provides an ethical framework and principles that serve as a basis for discerning actions that enable the design of diverse, sustainable systems suited to a wide variety of cultural and ecological contexts. Widespread adoption of agroecological methods and permaculture principles could significantly reduce energy, pesticide, and freshwater usage while simultaneously restoring degraded soil, sequestering large quantities of carbon, creating more biodiverse agricultural systems, and satisfying human needs for healthy, nutritious food. As well, engaging in ecological agriculture may encourage practitioners to develop genuinely ecological dispositions and worldviews that enable them to approach problems and discern actions from a perspective that systematically promotes sustainability and social justice.

Note: The uploaded file simply contains a link to the full paper at
http://markhathaway.org/files/AgroecologyAndPermaculture(mhathaway).pdf

Earth may now be moving into a new epoch, the Anthropocene, in which human activities have become... more Earth may now be moving into a new epoch, the Anthropocene, in which human activities have become a significant geological force altering (and often undermining) the planet’s life-sustaining systems. In this context, Thomas Berry suggests that humanity’s key task is to create a viable niche for itself that simultaneously enables the Earth community as a whole to thrive, effectively inaugurating an ecological epoch. Stephen Scharper proposes that this transition entails a shift from anthropocentrism to anthropoharmonism. Anthropoharmonism recognizes the unique perspective (and power) of humans, but also recognizes that humans are wholly dependent on the wider Earth community and need to act in harmony with it. Moving from ethics to practice requires an ecological wisdom that enables humans to discern actions that are mutually enhancing for ourselves and Earth’s ecosystems. Building on Arne Naess’ idea that ecosophia must be “directly relevant for action” as well as Aristotle’s understanding of phronesis or “ethical know-how,” this kind of wisdom can be understood as an anthropoharmonic phronesis that focuses on healing the Earth community, using sustainable practices and technologies appropriate for specific contexts. Such a phronesis can be found in permaculture, a design system founded by Bill Mollison and David Holgrem which provides a concrete set of guidelines for discerning ecologically appropriate actions in specific contexts based on an ethic of care of Earth, care of people, and fair share. Key principles include using small and slow solutions, designing from patterns to details, and creatively responding to change. Like anthropoharmonism, permaculture envisions a role for humans as responsive participants in ecosystems who must first engage in protracted observation and only intervene with the minimal change necessary to achieve a goal. Permaculture can therefore be understood as a way to embody a practical, anthropoharmonic wisdom that could facilitate a shift towards an ecological epoch.

Health in the Anthropocene: Living Well on a Finite Planet, 2019

The current ecological crisis can be understood as a crisis in the way that (particularly the ric... more The current ecological crisis can be understood as a crisis in the way that (particularly the richest and most powerful) humans relate to other humans and the wider Earth community. This crisis is the result of complex interactions between political and economic systems, habituated forms of behaviour, cultures, and modalities of consciousness rooted in a sense of separation, the desire to control, dominate, exploit, and consume. Such forms of consciousness are fostered and propagated by economic, political, and cultural systems which are themselves underpinned by such consciousness.

Large-scale, quantitative studies demonstrate that moving towards more ecological worldviews and modalities of consciousness-particularly those marked by a strong affective connection with the more-than-human world-is associated with adopting more sustainable lifestyles and engaging in pro-environmental political action. Based on a recent qualitative study, the kind of consciousness associated with committed environmental educators and activists is often marked by a sense of interconnection and community, inter-subjectivity, empathy, flow, an extended sense of life, rootedness in place, and a more encompassing sense of time. Transformative learning theory similarly notes that ecological consciousness entails moving beyond an instrumental worldview to an embodied, intersubjective mindset marked by a deep sense of connection with the powers of the living Earth. The latter are themselves perceived as sources of ecological wisdom. Insights from neurophysiology and the embodied mind suggest that this kind of consciousness can be cultivated via a combination of attention, imagination, practice, story-telling, and immersion in supportive communities of practice.

In this paper, examples of a variety of approaches for cultivating ecological consciousness will be considered including the use of meditative ecological practices, land-based learning, work with sustainable agriculture, and the "Work that Reconnects". Reflecting on these approaches, we will conclude by setting out areas for further exploration of ecological consciousness and ways it may be developed.

Concilium, 2018

The threat of ecocide poses an ethical challenge which calls humans to rethink our relationship w... more The threat of ecocide poses an ethical challenge which calls humans to rethink our relationship with nature, perceive the divine wisdom manifest in creation, and act cooperatively and co-creatively with other living beings. This article explores how God is present in creation and links Jesus’s proclamation of the Reign of God with the wisdom manifest in creation. Emerging insights from postmodern science are examined to better understand the ‘governing themes and basal intentionality’ manifest in an evolving cosmos. Finally, it is suggested that humans can develop ecological wisdom by opening themselves to the alterity of other beings and working respectfully and creatively with them to seek the healing, regeneration, and integral liberation of the Earth community.

Concilium, 2018

La amenaza de un ecocidio plantea un desafío ético que llama a los seres humanos a repensar nuest... more La amenaza de un ecocidio plantea un desafío ético que llama a los seres humanos a repensar nuestra relación con la naturaleza, a percibir la sabiduría divina manifiesta en la creación, y a actuar cooperativa y co-creativamente con los demás seres vivos. Este artículo indaga en cómo Dios está presente en la creación y vincula la proclamación del Reino de Dios por Jesús con la sabiduría manifiesta en la creación. Se analizan las aportaciones de la ciencia moderna para comprender mejor los «temas dominantes y la intencionalidad básica» que se manifiestan en un cosmos en evolución. Finalmente, se sugiere que los seres humanos pueden desarrollar una sabiduría ecológica abriéndose a la alteridad de los demás seres y trabajando respetuosa y creativamente con ellos para buscar la sanación, la regeneración y la liberación integral de la comunidad de la Tierra.

Joanna Macy's " Work that Reconnects " (WTR) is a transformative learning process that endeavors ... more Joanna Macy's " Work that Reconnects " (WTR) is a transformative learning process that endeavors to help participants acknowledge, experience, and understand the emotions that may either empower or inhibit action to address the ecological crisis. The WTR seeks to work through grief, fear, and despair to animate a sense of active, empowering hope rooted in gratitude, compassion, imagination, community, and collective action. Drawing on theoretical perspectives from neuroscience, ecopsychology, and transformative learning, this paper analyzes how emotions may either impede or facilitate active engagement in ecological issues. The assumptions, goals, and process of the WTR are then presented in light of these insights. Finally, a case study involving the use of the WTR with young adults along with their reflections on the experience are considered to illustrate how the process may be employed as well as to analyze some of the benefits, challenges, and limitations of using this transformative learning process.

Drawing on insights from neuroscience, psychology, Buddhism, and the Beatitudes of Jesus, this pa... more Drawing on insights from neuroscience, psychology, Buddhism, and the Beatitudes of Jesus, this paper explores the role emotions play in influencing human responses to the ecological crisis. While political, technological, and economic factors contributing to this crisis are often analyzed, emotional factors tend to be neglected or underestimated. Humans may be suffering from a condition analogous to the " myopia for the future " described by Antonio Damasio which impedes both our perception of the crisis and our response to it. Traditional Buddhist psychology's analysis of the " three poisons " provides helpful insights into why humans may fail to respond to distressing information. At the same time, emotions have the potential to empower humanity to overcome the interwoven dynamics of denial, despair, and addiction and to facilitate a collective response to the ecological crisis. Joanna Macy has developed an integrated set of interactive, spiritual practices to enable persons to reconnect emotionally to the entire Earth community, overcome both despair and myopia for the future, and take meaningful action to heal the world. The Aramaic version of Matthew's Beatitudes as interpreted by Neil Douglas‐Klotz also models a spiritual process for overcoming despair by working with and through emotions to empower restorative action.

The Variety of Integral Ecologies (Suny Press), 2017

This paper is a preliminary exploration of the concept of ecological wisdom. This paper is part o... more This paper is a preliminary exploration of the concept of ecological wisdom. This paper is part of the book "Integral Ecologies" edited by Sam Mickey, Adam Robbert, and Sean Kelly and published by SUNY Press.

See the full thesis at: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2086030192 The ecological crisis—enco... more See the full thesis at: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2086030192

The ecological crisis—encompassing interrelated challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and the widening gap between rich and poor—threatens the future of entire species, ecosystems, and human civilisation. This crisis is not only a political, economic, and technological challenge, but also has roots in the way that people—particularly those living in industrialised, affluent societies—perceive their relationship to other humans, living beings, and the Earth itself. Therefore, a shift towards more ecological worldviews and the cultivation of an ecological wisdom that enables persons to perceive reality relationally and discern ecologically-appropriate actions for the common good can play a key role in addressing the crisis.

Based on in-depth interviews with 24 ecological educators and activists and extensive biographical and theoretical research, this inquiry examines how ecological worldviews and wisdom may be cultivated in practice. To do so, it explores both the nature, meaning, and manifestations of ecological wisdom as well as how different significant life experiences contribute to the cultivation of ecological wisdom. Using an organic, thematic-narrative approach, the stories of the research participants are presented and analysed, endeavouring to maintain the narrative gestalts to communicate the experiences in a way that is meaningful and transformative.

Ecological wisdom may be understood as a process of perceiving reality as relational and interconnected; attuning oneself to the wisdom of other beings and Earth itself; and acting cooperatively and co-creatively to bring forth an ecologically regenerative, socially just, and meaningful way for humans to live harmoniously within specific contexts. Transformative ecological learning—which reshapes consciousness, feelings, thoughts, relationships, and actions to cultivate ecological wisdom—involves a variety of processes. Primary is practicing mindfulness—while letting go of destructive habits and mentalities—to enable one to connect and relate to other beings, learn from them, and work co-creatively with them. Other key processes involve immersions into novel cultures, ecosystems, states of consciousness, and Indigenous wisdom; concretely practicing new ways of perceiving and acting; exercising imagination, art, and responsive creativity; sharing stories embodying ecological wisdom; analysing the crisis and seeking insights from scientific and traditional knowledge; and organising with others to effect transformation.

Books by Mark Hathaway

Los dos primeros capítulos de "El Tao de la liberación: Una ecología de la transformación" por Ma... more Los dos primeros capítulos de "El Tao de la liberación: Una ecología de la transformación" por Mark Hathaway y Leonardo Boff publicado por la editorial Trotta. Prefacio por Fritjof Capra.

Today, humanity stands at a historic crossroads. Deepening poverty and accelerating ecological de... more Today, humanity stands at a historic crossroads. Deepening poverty and accelerating ecological destruction challenge us to act with wisdom and maturity: How can we move toward a future where meaning, hope, and beauty can truly flourish?

The Tao of Liberation is a search for this path, the wisdom needed to effect profound transformations in our world. Hathaway and Boff describe this wisdom using the ancient Chinese word Tao, meaning a way or path leading to harmony, peace, and right relationship. The Tao can also be understood as the wisdom that lies at the very heart of the flowing structure of the universe, encapsulating the essence of its purpose.

The book begins by asking: How does transformation occur? Or, perhaps more precisely: Why is it so difficult to effect the changes so urgently needed to save the living Earth community? It then embarks on a journey of exploration through such diverse fields as economics, psychology, cosmology, and spirituality in search for the wisdom – or Tao – needed to move away from our current destructive path and instead toward authentic liberation: A way leading to ever-greater communion, diversity, and creativity. ""

Conference Presentations by Mark Hathaway

There is growing consensus that Earth has been moving into a new epoch, the Anthropocene, where h... more There is growing consensus that Earth has been moving into a new epoch, the Anthropocene, where human activities have become the dominant geological force altering ecosystems, bringing about climate change, and driving hundreds of thousands of species to extinction. While it is unlikely that Earth will return to anything like its pre-anthropogenic state in the foreseeable future, it is urgent that humanity’s ecocidal activities cease and that a new ethic begins to orient and guide all human actions. Thomas Berry suggested that the key task of humanity is to construct a viable niche for itself that simultaneously enables the Earth community as a whole to thrive – i.e. for humans to move from a destructive force rooted in “a profound cultural disorientation” and instead become “present to Earth in a mutually enhancing manner.” Stephen Scharper proposes that this transition entails a shift from anthropocentrism to anthropoharmonism, a term that at once recognizes the unique perspective (and power) of humans while at the same time insisting that humans are dependent on the wider Earth community and need to adopt a radically intersubjective perspective, acting in ways that harmonize with the systems sustaining all life on the planet. Permaculture – a set of ethical guidelines and design principles first formulated by Bill Mollison and David Holgrem – may provide guidance in both applying an anthopoharmonic ethic and modeling a practical ecological wisdom (or “ecophronesis”) which enables humans to equitably satisfy essential needs while simultaneously regenerating healthy ecosystems.

While environmental studies courses are generally effective at deepening students’ understanding ... more While environmental studies courses are generally effective at deepening students’ understanding of the profoundly serious threats currently facing our planet, a more difficult challenge may be to activate a realistic sense of hope that can empower students to find meaningful ways to take part in the urgent transformations required to create more sustainable human societies. Indeed, coming to a clearer understanding of anthropogenic impacts on the planet, under some circumstances, may lead students to feel overwhelmed and disempowered, engendering a state of despair or psychological paralysis. In part, this may be because – as educators – we fail to fully consider the emotional impacts of the ecological crisis (Milton, 2005), including the very real fear of facing a future where the beauty, health, and resilience of ecosystems (and the human societies entwined with them) have been seriously compromised and where the survival of many species – and human civilization as we know it – is at stake.

This paper explores educational perspectives and methodologies that seek to take the powerful psychological dynamics related to the ecological crisis into account and address these – not by simply offering a facile optimism – but rather by delving through fear and despair to encounter a realistic hope based on creativity, community, and collective action. Theoretical perspectives considered include Damasio’s (1994) somatic marker hypothesis which highlights the importance of emotional factors which can either facilitate effective action or impede it. As well, Walsh’s (1984) classic psychology of human survival is considered along with related insights from ecopsychology (Roszak, 1992; Sewall, 1995) to highlight the role that denial, addictive behaviours, and despair may play in impeding an effective response to ecological issues. Finally, Joanna Macy’s (1998) educational methodology “The Work that Reconnects” – which employs a variety of meditative and interactive exercises in an integrated process – is presented as a possible way to apply these insights in teaching undergraduate students. The Work that Reconnects endeavors to tap into positive emotions (gratitude, love of Earth, appreciation of beauty, etc.) while simultaneously working through more difficult emotions (fear, grief, despair) to find a common bond of compassion that strengthens a sense of community and empowers collective action. At the same time, by employing insights from systems theory as well as developing an altered (long-range) sense of time, The Work that Reconnects attempts to shift worldviews and present a hopeful vision of a sustainable future framed as “The Great Turning.” A concrete experience of using this methodology in a one-day workshop with third year undergraduate environmental studies students in an ecological worldviews course is described and analyzed, highlighting both the potential advantages and limitations of using this approach. As well, the importance of studying a variety of initiatives aimed at creating more sustainable human societies is considered.

Since 2005, the U.S.-based NGO The Pachamama Alliance has been carrying out a global adult enviro... more Since 2005, the U.S.-based NGO The Pachamama Alliance has been carrying out a global adult environmental education initiative employing its “Awakening the Dreamer” symposiums. Over 100,000 people in approximately fifty nations have taken part in these symposiums (led by over three thousand volunteer facilitators). This is therefore an authentically global initiative that transcends borders, and indeed an unstated assumption of the initiative is that our response to the global ecological crisis must be both locally-based and internationally networked. The initiative’s goals are to enable participants to become more fully aware of the worldview that underlies modern industrial growth societies; to critically examine the often unconscious, unexamined assumptions underlying this worldview; to assess and appreciate the extraordinary potential for transformation at this juncture in history; and to empower participants to become actively involved as agents for change seeking to bring forth a more “environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, [and] socially just human presence on the planet” (The Pachamama Alliance, 2010).

This paper examines the history, goals, philosophy, and methodological approaches of the Awakening the Dreamer initiative within a broader theoretical framework of ecological worldviews education. In so doing, it also explores the significance of this movement and its strengths, as well as some of its potential limitations and challenges. The paper concludes that, while there is a real limit to what can be accomplished within the context of a short (half to one day) workshop, this initiative nonetheless has significant value as one step in a broader process of education, engagement, and empowerment.

Drawing on insights from Damasio’s somatic marker hypothesis, Buddhism, ecopsychology, and the Be... more Drawing on insights from Damasio’s somatic marker hypothesis, Buddhism, ecopsychology, and the Beatitudes, this paper explores the role emotions play in influencing our response to the ecological crisis. While invoking fear may actually lead to denial, addictive behaviours, or despair which impede action, appealing to positive emotions – such as gratitude, awe, compassion, or love for life (or “biophilia”) – may lead to a meaningful response to what is arguably the greatest crisis of our time. In exploring these issues, the Buddhist analysis of the “three poisons” is particularly helpful in understanding the way persons may choose to manage unpleasant emotions like fear rather than actually dealing with the causes of a crisis. Joanna Macy’s “Work that Reconnects” provides a helpful model of transformative learning that both builds on positive emotions and works through difficult ones to empower meaningful action. Reflecting on the Aramaic version of the Beatitudes provides additional insights for working through emotions to establish a deep bond with the wider Earth community and act with energy and wisdom.

The complexity and scale of the ecological crisis poses unique challenges to transformative learn... more The complexity and scale of the ecological crisis poses unique challenges to transformative learning. To address these, The Tao of Liberation (Hathaway & Boff, 2009) offers insights to reconceptualize transformative learning from an ecological perspective, including new ways of framing learning goals, the nature of liberation, and the process of worldviews transformation. The Tao also provides analysis addressing some of the key psychological obstacles impeding transformative learning related to the ecological crisis. Finally, The Tao outlines four “paths to liberation” that suggest concrete processes that can foster integral transformative learning.

The Tao of Liberation begins by asking the question: "How does transformation occur?"--or, perhap... more The Tao of Liberation begins by asking the question: "How does transformation occur?"--or, perhaps more precisely--"Why is it so difficult to effect the changes so urgently needed to save the living Earth community of which we are a part?" Seeking answers to this question, the book examines the obstacles to truly liberating transformation drawing on insights from economics, deep ecology, ecofeminism, and ecopsychology. The book then explores the new cosmology emerging from science--including quantum physics, systems theory, and the universe story--in order to perceive a kind of "walking wisdom" (or Tao) inherent in the very fabric of the cosmos that can guide our transformative praxis. Ultimately, the book seeks a vision of a different way of being in the world that could allow the needs of all people to be equitably met in harmony with the needs and well-being of the greater Earth community, and indeed the cosmos itself.

Workshops by Mark Hathaway

An intensive, one-week course taught in Spanish by Mirian Vilela and Mark Hathaway at the Earth C... more An intensive, one-week course taught in Spanish by Mirian Vilela and Mark Hathaway at the Earth Charter Intiative in San José, Costa Rica from February 1-5, 2016.

Un curso intensivo facilitado por Mirian Vilela y Mark Hathaway entre el 1 y 5 de febrero, 2016 en San José, Costa Rica sobra la educación transformadora, la sostenibilidad y los valores de la Carta de la Tierra.

The Palgrave Handbook on Learning for Transformation, pp. 279-300. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. , 2022

Global Health and Global Health Ethics (2nd edition), 2021

Note: The uploaded file simply contains a link to the full paper at
http://markhathaway.org/files/AgroecologyAndPermaculture(mhathaway).pdf

Health in the Anthropocene: Living Well on a Finite Planet, 2019

Concilium, 2018

The Variety of Integral Ecologies (Suny Press), 2017

See the full thesis at: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2086030192 The ecological crisis—enco... more See the full thesis at: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2086030192

This exercise is based on a traditional form of Sufi meditation first brought to the west by Hazr... more This exercise is based on a traditional form of Sufi meditation first brought to the west by Hazrat Inayat Khan. The current form has a strongly ecological component that serves to build a living sense of connection to the Earth via an embodied breathing practice.

While environmental studies courses may often be effective at deepening students’ understanding o... more While environmental studies courses may often be effective at deepening students’ understanding of the profoundly serious threats currently facing our planet, a more difficult challenge may be to activate a realistic sense of hope that can empower students to find meaningful ways to take part in the urgent transformations required to create more sustainable human societies. Indeed, facing the full truth of the anthropogenic impacts on the planet may effectively paralyse some students with fear or drive them towards despair. In part, this may be because – as educators – we fail to fully consider the emotional impacts of the ecological crisis, including the very real fear of facing a future where the beauty, health, and resilience of ecosystems (and the human societies entwined with them) have been seriously compromised.

This workshop will explore the methodology of Joanna Macy’s “Work that Reconnects” which uses interactive exercises to help participants to experience and understand their own emotional responses to the ecological crisis. The process begins by seeking to re-root participants in an experience of awe and gratitude so that they may find a deep source of motivation to actively participate in the transformations required to bring about a genuinely sustainable future. Then, it moves on to honor the pain experienced in living through this crisis and to acknowledge fears that may arise when looking towards the future. Next, it endeavours to reframe the crisis using systems theory and by helping participants to gain a new perspective via an experience of “deep” time. Finally, participants reflect on ways that they may actively participate in the creation of a more just, sustainable, and fulfilling future.

Dr. Mark Hathaway researches and teaches environmental studies, sustainability, environmental eth... more Dr. Mark Hathaway researches and teaches environmental studies, sustainability, environmental ethics, transformative learning, sustainable food systems, ecological worldviews, and ecopsychology from an interdisciplinary perspective. Hathaway was a SSHRC postdoctoral researcher at the University of Waterloo and a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholar at the University of Toronto. He teaches undergraduate courses at the University of Toronto and is a faculty member of the Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development. He also teaches as a visiting professor at the Reformed University in Barranquilla, Colombia and in the doctoral program at La Salle University in Costa Rica. With Leonardo Boff, he wrote The Tao of Liberation: Exploring the Ecology of Transformation published by Orbis Books in 2009 and translated into Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and German. He is fluent in English and Spanish.

Analysing perils such as rapid climate change, biodiversity loss, stratospheric ozone depletion, ... more Analysing perils such as rapid climate change, biodiversity loss, stratospheric ozone depletion, ocean acidification, land system changes, and key nutrient cycles, Rockström et al. (2009) observe that we have already exceeded several key boundaries that delineate the safe operating space for humanity on the planet – particularly biodiversity loss and climate change – and that we are rapidly approaching the limits in several other areas such as ocean acidification.

After thoroughly reviewing the current evidence, Ehrlich & Ehrlich (2013) conclude that our current global civilisation is threatened by collapse unless we undertake concerted action to address the most serious problems threatening the well-being of the entire Earth community. Meanwhile, social and economic inequality continues to grow.
Overall, our response to the key challenges threatening the well-being—and even survival—of human societies and living ecosystems seems far weaker than the situation requires (Crompton, 2010), despite the fact that promising policies, technologies, and social innovations to address the ecological crisis exist.

ENV222 explores the concept and practice of sustainability by integrating scientific, technological, economic, political, psychological, historical, and ethical perspectives.

The course begins by analysing the challenges posed by the ecological crisis, including its historical roots. It then goes on to explore and evaluate a variety of approaches, strategies, and actions—at a personal, local, national, and global scale—that could enable us to move towards authentic sustainability.

A worldview if often understood as “a comprehensive model of reality” combining “beliefs, assumpt... more A worldview if often understood as “a comprehensive model of reality” combining “beliefs, assumptions, attitudes, values, and ideas” (Schlitz, Vieten, & Miller, 2010, p. 19). We all hold basic – although often unconscious – assumptions about the very nature of reality, including our relationship with what is commonly called “nature” or “the environment.” As well, we have assimilated a variety of sensorial habits or filters that affect the way we perceive the world. Perhaps a more comprehensive, embodied definition of a worldview might therefore be “an organic integration of dispositions, habits, feelings, and assumptions that orient the way we perceive, understand, and live in the world” (Hathaway, 2018, p. 9).

Worldviews, then, are not simply a set of conceptual beliefs, but holistic, embodied frames built up through experience that orient both perception and action. This integration of habits, feelings, and assumptions may influence our ability to perceive the problems we face and also limit our imaginations, making it more difficult to conceive of a path toward ecological sustainability and social well-being. As Albert Einstein noted, “the significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” We may need a new vision of reality, or even a new modality of consciousness – a more ecological worldview – in order to address our most urgent crises and to create a more just and sustainable human society.

ENV333 explores how worldviews – including those with roots in scientific, religious, philosophical, and economic perspectives – have contributed to environmental and related social problems and how changes in our worldview might contribute to the solution of these problems. To delve into these questions, the course will examine the understanding of nature and environment in western, eastern, and Indigenous traditions. As well, the course will explore a variety of ecological worldviews including deep ecology, ecofeminism, and social ecology as well as cosmogenic and liberatory perspectives. Finally, the course will explore the nature of ecological wisdom and how it might be cultivated in practice

EESB16H3 examines the origins and systems of production of the major plants and animals on which ... more EESB16H3 examines the origins and systems of production of the major plants and animals on which humans depend for food.
Interactions between those species and systems and the local ecology will be examined, looking at issues of over harvesting, genetic erosion, soil erosion, pesticide use, water and energy usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and the impacts of genetically modified strains.

The course explores the history of the current agro-industrial approach to farming and its relationship to agribusiness.

The final part of the course will examine a variety of ecological agricultural approaches and issues related to food security and food sovereignty. Throughout the course, the ways that science, technology, economics, politics, and ethics interact in food systems will be explored and analyzed.

Una presentación que Mark Hathaway dió al programa de doctorado de la Universidad de La Salle en ... more Una presentación que Mark Hathaway dió al programa de doctorado de la Universidad de La Salle en San José, Costa Rica en febrero de 2015.

This is an excerpt from a presentation given to approximately 1000 people attending the conferenc... more This is an excerpt from a presentation given to approximately 1000 people attending the conference "Loving Earth Back to Health" in Fergus, ON in 2011.

Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development Faculty Member talks about his boo... more Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development Faculty Member talks about his book, The Tao of Liberation.