Rethinking Eco-justice Within a Biophilic Framework: A Rejoinder

I commend Professor Bowers for alerting us to the important role that current ecological crisis plays in the social justice issues centered on class, race and gender. Bowers' persuasive reframing of social justice issues in terms of eco-justice left me wondering if part of the problem lies in our human species' aloof disregard of nature. Many of us spend far too little time hearing, seeing and building relationships with the birds, plants and animals that share our immediate environment. Mueller's rejoinder to Bowers' rethinking of social justice helped me visualize a naturalist's keen attention to the natural world (i.e., environmental literacy) within the local ecological commons of Athens, Georgia. By first focusing on his relationship to nature and then describing his contextualized eco-justice pedagogy, Mueller elevated the importance of human/nature relationships in eco-justice arguments. Though many scholars are beginning to embrace a curriculum perspective informed by environmental literacy and eco-justice (i.e., interconnectedness of nature, economy and equity), the role of biophilia (love of nature) in achieving ecological justice for all species remains vague among education leaders.