Summary

In "Depth (Depth Ecology II)," Abram walks through the hills under a blue sky. He has been lost for some time, preferring to wander after his truck broke down. His stroll is halted when he notices the serene "valley floor" is "undulating and folding" (82). Everything around him suddenly seems in motion. This perception is inspired by depth or, "the dimension of closeness and distance" (84). Depth involves the "whole of our animal body" (84). As the body moves, perception shifts. He cites several personal experiences to argue that the world is full of these "perceptual transformations" (89).

Spending so much time looking at screens destroys the individual's depth awareness. Neither the eye nor the body is engaged with, nor affects the images.

When Abram realizes how lost in thought he has become, the landscape stops moving. His mind inhibits and limits the land. If he...