Greening of the Self (outside reading 3)

Joanna Macy is the author of the book Greening of the Self, in which she discusses how to green one's "self" as it relates to the movement of deep ecology. I can appreciate the message that this notion sends and what it hopes to accomplish. What she says is that to "green" the self, or develop an ecological self, one must remove the separateness of notions of "us" and "them." We are all one with other species. This also means that the reason to protect other beings (for example, a tree) should be because they have inherent value, not because they can be used for human benefit at a later time. I found Macy's description of the "greening of the self" interesting, though I'm not sure if I would be able to fully become a part of the movement. I definitely agree with the point that we should value other species for their inherent value, not for the value we place on them. I think the best way conserve/preserve the environment is to value it and protect it for its own sake instead of for the sake of its value and use for humans.