About
Mission
This site is dedicated to reorienting human existence within a world that is greater than humanity. This entails discussing the environment in ways which affirm humanity's position within it rather than above or separate to it. As issues are discussed on Greater Than Human, language and frameworks which reposition humans as interconnected to the world around us will highlight the status quo which encourages us to believe we are not.
What does "Greater Than Human World" mean?
Greater than human world is an adaptation of the term more than human world which is demonstrated in many academic works within environmental communication literature. The primary goal of utilizing the term is to remind and emphasize the reality that human's are not the only thing that matters on this planet. More specifically it aims to call forward the thought of our world outside of strictly human terms.
Why not use "More than Human World"?
The website name was taken, and this was the closest alternative :)
Regarding Ecocentrism and it's position on this site
Ecocentrism is the recognition of the ecosphere as centrally important, rather than solely human development and superiority. While this has been branded as anti-human, it can only be considered this way from a perspective of human dominance and superiority - AKA anthropocentrism. This is due to the fact that recognizing humanity as an interconnected piece of the environment means recognizing the ecosphere also includes humans. Viewing the environment as subordinate to human control as a means of prosperity, would encourage one to view ecocentrism as anti-human since human control and development is considered the only path that leads to human survival and prosperity - completely ignoring indigenous cultures which have more ecocentric views, and a much longer track record on community sustainability. There are multiple issues with this angle, which will be tackled in a dedicated blog post in the future. Despite these issues, there is legitimate debate on the scope and ability for humans to truly view the environment in ecocentric terms. This site will explore this debate, however most conclusions point to a beneficial perception which assists in ecosystem awareness when adopting or trying to adopt more ecocentric views.
Author
My name is Trevor Allen, and I am the author and owner of this site. I study Environmental Communications at the California State University Channel Islands, and focus primarily on providing perspective for the ever-growing crises which face human and non-human communities. I am currently working on my BA, with a minor in environmental science, and have earned two AA's in Communications, and Social Science at Moorpark College. To date I am a member of the Lambda Pi Eta honor society within the National Communication Association, and the International Environmental Communication Association. I am passionate about discussing and problematizing multiple aspects of the greater than human world, and find great solace in actively trying to connect with parts of the world that western society has encouraged us to disconnect with.