What is Ecology?

"Ecology is an interdisciplinary field that includes the science of biology and Earth science, the protection of the environment and the proper integration of man into the ecosystem. Modern ecology that turned into a more formal science in the late 19th century, investigates the interdependence in the relationships of living beings with their natural environment, both from a biological point of view initially and from a social, economic, cultural point of view later on".
That was a scientific definition of the word "Ecology" one could easily find in Wikipedia. 

 In simple words, in a child's mind and heart ......

•  "Ecology is love and care for the poor animals. I want to adopt a panda!! "Nick, 7yrs old.
• We want to help the red deer and the brown bear live happily in the forests of our country.  1st graders ( 6yrs old)
• "Ecology is love and care for the trees. Let's protect them! I will  recycle my old books! I will start writing on both sides of a sheet of paper!" Yannis, 9 yrs old.
• "Ecology is crystal-clear blue seas without even one plastic bag on the beach. A careta -careta may swallow it!" Anastasis, 10yrs old
• "I would like to live in a city with more green parks, full of flowers and tall trees and little squirrels to climb around" Fotini, 8yrs old.
  
• "I would like to wake up every day, look at a blue sky and breathe fresh air. I don't like living in a place, grey and dirty from pollution". Sophia, 11yrs old.
• "Ecology is saving water and energy. Don't leave the water running when you brush your teeth. Another child is thirsty right now in another corner of  the Earth" Stavros, 12 yrs old.
• Even though I am afraid of the dark, I always try to remember to turn off the lights of my room when I leave"Panos, 6yrs old
• Let's use solar energy for our household needs  and solar trees to recharge our mobiles. Earth resources are not endless. Eva, 12yrs, old.

 These were just a few of our pupils' ideas and solutions to the problems our planet faces .

A short flashback in the past

• Etymology : The term oekologie was created in 1866 by the German biologist Ernst Haeckel, from the Greek words οίκος (ikos) and λόγος(logos) : house and word meaning literally "study of the house", that is  the study of the environment that surrounds us, our home, nature. It is broadly known,however, that  that the basic principles of ecology have their roots in the thinking and life of ancient Greeks especially in the classical times. Ancient Greek philosophers, such as Hippocrates and Aristotle, laid the foundations of the science of ecology in their studies of natural history.The image that is portrayed in our eyes by reading Greek mythology is a "full god" nature, a game where gods, demigods and people are all members of a whole, which still includes land, forests, rivers ,the animals. The gods, as part of nature, give sacred content to the protection of the environment. There are established bans on hunting, fishing, cutting trees in sacred places. There are festivals of nature and seasons, which emphasize the tradition of nature protection by the gods. There are also myths about the perpetual return of natural forces, such as the myths of Demeter and Persephone, of Dionysus and others. In general, the deification of nature in the religion of ancient Greeks helped significantly to respect and protect the environment and the right relationship of man with the rest of the ecosystem.
• The sense of "measure" in the same respect for nature and human pursuits, is the golden rule and guide  for ancient Greeks .

 Today

• Where is this sense of "measure" today? Modern man has obviously lost it. It is the lack of this sense of "measure" that the current environmental crisis is attributed to, together with the lack of a moral-political level of life, which could be channeled to goals far from overexploitation and luxury.  

What can we do to change that?
"Each one of us can do little things  which can make a big difference. 
Like the boy who was trying to save as many dying starfish, which the tide had washed away on one  beach in Cornwall the previous night and he said to an old man who tried to discourage him from doing that:  " I may not be able to save all of them but I can make a difference to this one ... and this one and ... this one" and he kept throwing the starfish into the sea, one  by one.

   "to this one it matters!!"

Sometimes young children can teach elderly people real lessons of life.
We can make a difference".
Eve, Angela, Sissy, Nicky, Irene, George, Sotiris , Elias, Ervis, Yannis,12 yrs old. 

• We could finally say that the pursuit of self-sufficiency, rational constraints, clearing natural and fake needs, creative work, aesthetics of the environment, cheerful behaviour towards fellow humans can and must be our goals to achieve a quality of life and of course the Earth's survival conditions in the future. We owe this to our children. 

 A suggestion for reading

•  You might also find worth reading the ancient myth of Erysichthon, who cut the sacred oak tree dedicated to goddess Demeter defying her will, wounding the Nymph who lived inside it. The Nymph(Fairy) and the sacred tree died but his punishment was relentless. Τhe end of this myth is more modern than ever, it is a metaphorical reference to the revenge of nature against man in our times.

 

http://xletsos-basilhs.blogspot.gr/2015/12/blog-post_29.html