12.2.1 Scope
It is possible to summarise the scope of cultural ecology as follows:
Cultural ecology, is a subject, is an interdisciplinary category of information and knowledge about human communities as the main functional components which influence the balance sheets of Earth's biological cycles of materials and energy flows.
Cultural ecology, is an educational experience, demonstrates the importance of crossing boundaries of traditional subjects in order to find solutions to environmental problems.
Cultural ecology, is a practical activity, shows how individuals, families and organisations can create action plans which set limits to the environmental impact of their day to day uses of natural resources that flow through home, neighbourhood, workplace and leisure environments.
Cultural ecology, is a set of notions about nature, shows how everyone interprets the world from within a particular multifactorial framework of perception and thought, which often gives rise to difficulties and dangers in using ones own perspective to judge the values and behaviour of others towards environmental issues.
Cultural ecology is a gathering of local information, through environmental appraisal of the good and bad aspects of neighbourhood, provides the knowledge base which is necessary for citizens to participate constructively in local plans for sustainable development- the Local Agenda 2.