Activists push for the inclusion of humans in 'Nature' definition
What's the story
A campaign has been initiated to convince dictionaries to broaden the definition of "nature" to encompass humans.
This movement was sparked by businesswoman and environmental activist Frieda Gormley after she encountered the Oxford English Dictionary's (OED) current definition at a conference held at the Eden Project.
The OED presently defines "nature" as "the phenomenon of the physical world collectively; esp plants, animals and other features and products of the earth itself, as opposed to humans and human creations."
Redefining nature
Gormley advocates for a more inclusive definition
Gormley expressed her worry that the current definition fosters a sense of disconnect between humans and nature, potentially exacerbating environmental crises.
She questioned how people could truly consider nature in their actions if they believe we are separate from it.
Consequently, she reached out to Jessie Mond Webb from Lawyers for Nature to launch a campaign advocating for a more inclusive definition of "nature."
Scientific support
Campaign challenges traditional understanding of nature
The campaigners argue that the traditional understanding of nature as separate from humans, deeply rooted in western thought, lacks scientific basis.
Prof Tom Oliver, an ecologist at the University of Reading, supports this view and describes it as "slightly insane" and indicative of "a kind of insanity in our modern society."
He emphasizes that science contradicts human exceptionalism by pointing out that human bodies contain as many bacterial cells as human cells.
Lexicographical challenge
Dictionaries reflect usage, not definition
The campaign hit a roadblock when the activists realized that dictionaries do not dictate word definitions but mirror how words are used by people.
Fiona McPherson, a lexicographer at the OED, clarified this point: "The reason a word comes to be defined as it is because of the way people use it."
This understanding presented a new challenge for Gormley and Mond Webb in their quest to redefine "nature."
Reviving definitions
Campaigners discover obsolete definition including humans
Despite the challenge, Gormley and Mond Webb found an obsolete definition in the OED that included humans in its description of nature: "In a wider sense, the whole of the natural world, including humans and the cosmos."
Their new objective became to persuade the OED to reinstate this broader definition.
In response, the OED removed its paywall for "nature" and updated this obsolete definition with 21st-century quotations.