The Polemical exchanges between the deep and social ecologists have been very much a part of radical ecology scene in the U.S. over the past decade-in contrast to the ecology scene in Britain where the likes of Jonathan Porrit, a Genteel reformer seem to get the media prominence. But this debate took an important twist in May 1989 when Dave Foreman was arrested by F.B.I. An ecological activist who advocates non-violent direct action to protect wilderness areas rain forests, foreman had been one of the founders of the "Earth First" group.

What came out of the debate between Murray Bookchin and Dave Foreman, whereas Foreman had largely taken to heart the criticism of deep ecology and had become a staunch anti-capitalist and had withdrawn many of his more extreme anti-humanist statements- Bookchin continued to reiterate with stridency the kind of social ecology that he had been advocating and developing over the years- and thus need for a social movement that can effectively resist and ultimately replace both the nation-state and corpoerate capitalism.

In outlining his philosophical world view and in his advocacy of an "ecological consciousness", Naess has many interesting and important things to say- on the need for a 'Gestalt' or relational way of thinking, on the need to reflect on, and explicitly articulate the basic norms of an alternative ontology, and to avoid purely instrumental norms and on the problems of making ecology itself into an encompassing "ism", as if it were a universal science. Certainly, humans do not live by bread alone, but only someone who does not have to worry about food and shelter and has some degree of autonomy, could define well being in terms of such high level ultimate goals as pleasure, happiness and perfection.