date: Mon, 3 May 2094 09:20:56 +0100
from: Green Party Media <media@greenpartynw.fsnet.co.uk>
subject: [GP-E] gaia/mary midgley event
to: Margaret Wright <mew30@cam.ac.uk>, Mike Woodin <mike@woodin.swinternet.co.uk>, Penny Kemp <penny.kemp@virgin.net>

<x-charset iso-8859-1>*** from The Green Party's election information e-mail list ***

Anyone want to participate in this? We were specifically invited....
Please let me know
ta
Spencer
0161 225 4863
-----Original Message-----
From: Eddie <eddie@demos.co.uk>
To: 'media@greenpartynw.fsnet.co.uk' <media@greenpartynw.fsnet.co.uk>
Date: 02 May 2001 10:51
Subject: gaia/mary midgley


>spencer -
>
>we are hoping to host a debate, pencilled in for 16 or 17 may, to launch
>the publication of a pamphlet on gaia by the sicence philosopher Mary
>Midgley. her argument is that this an idea whose time has come and she
>discusses the way science both informs and reflects the culture of the
>times. in particular she relates the work of "sociobiologists" such as
>richard dawkins to a kind of 80s, grred-is-good ethic (my flip, media
>shorthand, not her words).
>
>she argues that the culture needs to change to a climate where james
>lovelocks ideas can be seen as complimenting rather than challenging
>scientific orthodoxy. she is also a little more relaxed than lovelock
>himself about the need to establish gaia as a purely scientific principle
>rather than a metaphor or almost quasi-environmental religion. gaia has
>been written off in some quarters as "new age" but to some extent midgley
>goes along with the idea that perhaps this <is> a new age.
>
>using this pamphlet as the starting point, we would like to create a debate
>on politics and the evironment. we are particulalry interested in the fact
>that michael meacher has expressed interest in gaia, while george bush
>appears to personify the "anti-gaia". in short, we ask, does the gaia
>hypothesis have the power to both inform the politics of the environment
>and also a scientific culture attunded to the times. we would be interested
>in talking to any green who is familiar with gaia, either pro or anti, and
>could put it in a contemporary political and environmental campaigning
>context.
>
>also if you could suggest any journalists who might be particularly
>inclined to engage with this debate i would be extremely grateful.thanks
>for your help with this.
>
>all the best
>
>eddie
>
>Eddie Gibb
>Communications manager
>Demos
>t: 020 7401 5347
>f: 020 7401 5331
>m: 0966 496357
>www.demos.co.uk
>
>
>

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