Another recent publication with a CHE connection appeared in the October edition of ‘Psychotherapy and Politics International’. It is the work of Pete Chatalos who is currently finishing his masters thesis in human ecology.

The article suggests that human immune system metaphors could be an effective way of helping to aid understanding of the effects of environmental degradation on the planet.

The abstract to Pete’s article is as follows: “This paper looks at the dynamic interface between disease, environmental degradation, and human behaviour. It is argued that the role of the ecosystem in maintaining health on a planetary scale can be likened to an organism's immune system. However, humanity's mental and emotional disconnection from these autopoietic processes is a form of ecological autism which is detrimental to the health of humans and ecosystems alike.

“This ecological autism is resulting in human systems acting like an autoimmune disorder; so that GAIA is living with AIDS. It is suggested that employing metaphors of the immune system to aid understanding and empathy might ameliorate this by helping humanity to realize its embeddedness within nature and to recognize the consequences of its actions.”