Leanne J. Morrison - Corporate Environmental Reporting: The Western Approach to Nature

I was inspired to write this book after reading Carolyne Merchants seminal work on the ways Western cultures attitude towards nature has changed over time. I read Merchant prior to starting my PhD, and turned up to my first meeting with my supervisors inspired by her ideas, but thinking it was a long way from corporate environmental reporting. I had just completed a research project which examined the different ethical approaches of stakeholders, but I hadnt quite pinned down my PhD topic. I knew I wanted to research something about corporate environmental reporting, but I didnt know what. I was afraid that I might have to abandon my philosophical training; that accounting was too far removed from philosophy, and that I was lucky enough to have been able to publish in this niche, but there was little chance of an academic career if I kept writing in the obscure space between accounting and philosophy.

I mentioned Merchant as a throwaway comment our supervisory meetings often covered vast terrain; conversations in multiple directions, which may or may not be directly related to my PhD, but somehow connected, like a spiderweb or a set of tangled roots. Fortunately, my supervisors had enough trust in my creativity and intellect and recognised that Merchant had inspired me. I was over the moon when one of my supervisors jumped in with thats great, go with that.

Before I got to this point, though, I had experienced the research baptism by fire otherwise known as the Honours Dissertation. It was a steep learning curve, to say the least. Part of the way through this process, I questioned whether I was capable of completion and considered giving up and returning to work as an accountant. At that time, I was living on the edge of the Tasmanian Wilderness, in the beautiful Huon Valley. Distraught at the idea of giving up, I took a walk over the hills in my backyard and sat on a large rock in the forest that overlooked the valley. There I had an epiphany. I felt how the rock beneath me supported my body; how the trees were providing the air for me to breathe. The birdsong was soothing; the fresh air cooled my skin. I had a profound realisation of how I was a part of an enormous and ancient natural process; a process I was deeply in love with. I realised that this was my purpose that this beautiful natural world that supported me was my inspiration, the reason I was pushing myself through these challenges.

Since then, when I am faced with a decision or a challenge, I remember that moment and question myself what are you doing this for? Will this help your cause? The rock and the trees and birds were present for me, can I be present for them?