What is "prometheanism"

Prometheanism is a term coined by the political theorist John Dryzek to describe an environmental orientation which perceives the earth as a resource whose use is determined primarily by human needs and interests and whose environmental problems are overcome through human innovation. The term was introduced in Dryzek's work, The Politics of the Earth: Environmental Discourses (1997). Martin Lack explains that Prometheans "propose radical technological solutions...by means of geo-engineering. They are named after Prometheus, one of the Titans of Greek mythology, who stole fire from Zeus and so vastly increased the human capacity to manipulate the world. As such, Prometheans have unlimited confidence in the ability of technology to overcome environmental problems." In contrast with other environmental perspectives, Prometheanism prioritizes human interests and needs over those of ecosystems (as with Deep Ecology) or the individual needs of creatures (as with eco-feminism).