A Review of Brendon Larson’s Metaphors for Environmental Sustainability: Redefining our Relationship with Nature

• Main Author: Kevin Redmond
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Alberta 2013-12-01
• Series: Phenomenology & Practice
• Online Access: https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/pandpr/index.php/pandpr/article/view/21171

Brendon Larson’s Metaphors for Environmental Sustainability: Redefining our Relationship with Nature is a thought provoking treatment of what can be a challenging and sometimes controversial subject. Primarily, but not exclusively, through four feedback metaphors: progress, competition, barcoding, and meltdown, Larson challenges the dominant scientific discourse, highlighting the limits of a single-lens scientific narrative while emphasizing the value of welcoming ambiguity, and diversity as a means to fruitful discussion and inquiry in addressing the issues surrounding environmental sustainability. Furthermore, rather than fencing ourselves off from nature, Larson demonstrates the importance of breaking down narratives of duality, and seeing ourselves as one with nature, not separate from it, in addressing issues concerning environmental sustainability. This book is valuable not only for its message, but also for how its concepts are presented. Larson presents historical and cultural frameworks to contextualize evolutionary and current environmental sustainability narratives. This book exemplifies phenomenological practices and perceptions, and is a valuable and insightful read for any individual, practitioner, or academic with an interest in environmental sustainability.