Clarifying the Challenges: A Response to Zhiwa Woodbury's Review and Response to Radical Ecopsychology: Psychology in the Service of Life (2nd Ed.) by Andy Fisher

Abstract

Abstract

In this response to Zhiwa Woodbury's review of my book Radical Ecopsychology (2nd ed.), I clarify positions of mine that I believe Woodbury presents either inaccurately or inadequately. I do this by placing his comments and criticisms within the context of the issues I think they raise about the development of ecopsychology: the conflict between the inherent radicalism of ecopsychology and the historical conservatism of psychology; the need to develop critical distance from eco-destructive systems that need to be transformed or transcended; the challenge of preserving the truths that are essential to ecopsychology as we attempt to move from periphery to center; and the need to offer new images as part of the process of ecological social change. I comment throughout on the relevance of my argument that ecopsychology is inherently radical for making sense of the first-generation/second-generation ecopsychology crossroads.