Refocus on environment David Orton (deep ecology)

map showing queen charlotte islands

after couple of years working shipwright carpenter on montreal waterfront, orton moved family in 1977 queen charlotte islands or haida gwaii, islands of people, off northern coast of british columbia. move proved turning point in evolution of orton s ideas. job fish-packing outfit brought him contact fishing community. became interested in haida people s environmental ideas pursued land claims. decided refocus organizing work on environmental issues , not social justice politics, orton writes in autobiography.

orton made contact b.c. federation of naturalists , wrote 30-page report them on controversial issue—a proposal lead protected, national park reserve status part of south moresby island. report, entitled case against southern moresby wilderness proposal, pointed number of contradictions in naturalists position. in book outline written in 2005, orton suggests during time in b.c. started understand inherent conservatism of naturalists organizations , limiting assumptions of mainstream environmentalism. realized logging industry promoted management of forests production of timber , saw fallacies of multiple use or integrated resource management. orton felt these approaches devalued wilderness set of resources exploited benefit of human beings. later called resourcism or world view non-human world exists raw material human purpose.

orton writes , gunilla larsson decided separate shortly after arriving in queen charlotte islands. difficult, although friendly, parting, adds. (she took our children, karl , johanna, sweden.) orton decided move in helga hoffmann, woman knew days marxist-leninist. hoffmann, whom later marry, lived in victoria, b.c.

helga brought two-person kayak charlottes , took southern moresby wilderness proposal area. lived off edible plants , fish caught kayak. pretty unplanned trip, no life jackets or signalling gear, compass , map. forced confront , adjust extreme weather, plus natural rhythms of oceans. believe trip important in developing environmental consciousness.

in fall of 1977, orton moved victoria live helga. while there, joined local naturalists club , worked on number of environmental issues including defence of tsitika watershed on northern vancouver island. orton went meetings clashed loggers , logging company representatives in attempts defend watershed s ecological integrity. wrote long article issue b.c. federation of naturalists newsletter. had come oppose land tenure system, exploited logging companies in british columbia, used forest land crown leases demand millions of dollars in compensation when park or protected area proposed, writes. orton sent letters local newspapers on wildlife , forestry issues , became regional vice-president of federation. found naturalists quite conservative on environmental issues, writes. liked observing nature, did not want fight in defence.