By drawing on the complex interplay of ecology and feminism, ecofeminists identify links between the domination of nature and the oppression of women. This volume introduces a variety of innovative approaches for advancing ecofeminist activism, demonstrating how words exert power in the world. Contributors explore the interconnections between the dualisms of nature/culture and masculine/feminine, providing new insights into sex and technology through such wide-ranging topics as canine reproduction, orangutan motherhood and energy conservation. Ecofeminist rhetorics of care address environmental problems through cooperation and partnership, rather than hierarchical subordination, encouraging forms of communication that value mutual understanding over persuasion and control. By critically examining ways that theory can help deconstruct domineering practices-exposing the underlying ideologies-a new generation of ecofeminist scholarship illuminates the transformative capacity of language to foster emancipation and liberation.

Douglas A. Vakoch is Professor in the Department of Clinical Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, as well as Director of Interstellar Message Composition at the SETI Institute. He serves as Chair of both the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) Study Group on Interstellar Message Construction and the IAA Study Group on Active SETI: Scientific, Technical, Societal, and Legal Dimensions. His books include Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CETI) and Psychology of Space Exploration: Contemporary Research in Historical Perspective.

List of Figures and Tables

Foreword
Glynis Carr, Bucknell University

Preface
Douglas A. Vakoch, California Institute of Integral Studies and SETI Institute

Chapter 1. "The rhetorics of critical ecofeminism: Conceptual connection and reasoned response"
Jeffrey Bile, Spalding University

Chapter 2. "Into the wild: An ecofeminist perspective on the human control of canine sexuality and reproduction"
Karla Armbruster, Webster University

Chapter 3. "Gender representations in orangutan primatological narratives: Essentialist interpretations of sexuality, motherhood and women"
Stacey K. Sowards, University of Texas at El Paso

Chapter 4. "Invitational rhetoric: Alternative rhetorical strategy as ecofeminist practice for transformation of perception and use of energy in the residential built environment from the Keweenaw to Kerala"
Merle Kindred, Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development

Chapter 5. "Ecofeminist ethics and digital technology: A case study of Microsoft Word"
Julia E. Romberger, Old Dominion University

Afterword
Patrick D. Murphy, University of Central Florida

Epilogue: "Unwrapping the enigma of ecofeminism: A solution to the illusion of incoherence"
Jeffrey A. Lockwood, University of Wyoming

Notes on Contributors
Bibliography
Index