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Here is the 5th (last) of the series on ecocriticism as related to my work on Fear and Fearlessness. It is entitled: "Ecocriticism, Ecophobia and Indigenous Criticism" - Technical Paper No. 70. 

Below is the abstract for this paper:

R. Michael Fisher

Technical Paper No. 70

Abstract – The author addresses some of the ways he has come into the field environmental education and the study of perceptions of humans towards nature, noting that fear of Nature is paradoxically situated with love of Nature in most people. He summarizes, using a brief fearanalysis, the Indigenous perspectives on ecocriticism and then proceeds to show the great influence of Four Arrows’ provocative de-hypnotizing method to help us get beyond the worst aspects of “ecophobia” (Estok’s hypothesis). He makes a few cautionary recommendations in the Conclusion as to how we can reclaim “indigeneity” by listening to and studying the more than human being (Nature) as guides to becoming “connoisseurs of Fear.”

I have recently come across the notion of "ecophobia" thanks to Barbara passing on a popular magazine article. The more I looked into what "ecophobia" meant, the more complex my research got and it stirred up many things of interest to me and my work on fear and fearlessness--and, the philosophy of fearism. I have attached the Technical Paper 66 I just wrote: "Why Ecocriticism Now?: Pathways to the Eco-Fear-Problem and Ecophobia."

R. Michael Fisher

Technical Paper No. 66

Abstract – The very recent discovery by the author of the field of postmodern “ecocriticism” within literary criticism, is a welcomed avenue for creative growth. It offers a site of critical reflection upon the authors’ own research and teaching trajectory to define the Fear Problem over the past 28 years. This paper has two main objectives: (1) to outline a series of five technical papers on ecocriticism, of which No. 66 is the first introductory work and, (2) to inquire into the what, who, why of “ecocriticism” as it is portrayed in literary criticism, emphasizing a two-way (or split) in the thinking about its nature and function, especially in regard to the concept of “ecophobia” (i.e., via David Sobel contra Simon Estok). The author is particularly aligned with Estok’s general direction of thinking to the point of reconceptualizing the Fear Problem within the immanent crises of a tragic global future called the Anthropocene era, as meta-context. With this influence, focus shifts to articulating the Eco-Fear Problem. Implications lead the author to an eventual invoking of a new branch of Subba’s philosophy of fearism field of study to what Fisher is calling eco-philosophy of fearism. Overall, throughout this series of technical papers, and beyond, the author desires to add a rich set of layering and lenses to bring into the field of ecocriticism, to enable a mutual cross-fertilization with the richness of ecocriticism and in particular Estok’s “Ecophobia Hypothesis.”  

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ECOFEMINISM response to the cascading "extinction" crises now and coming... is a bit of a different angle on the eco-fear problem, and that is that women may generally prefer to work on eco-grief... so I included the work here of Heidi Hunter as someone to read, watch her video and find guidance from through these times--along with the more masculine approaches (like my paper above)... http://www.heidihutner.com/ecofeminism-mothering/2015/11/29/eco-grief-and-ecofeminism