Book Review

Earth Rising: American Environmentalism in the 21st Century

By Philip Shabecoff.
Washington, DC: Island Press, 2000.
258 pages; hardcover $24.95; $17.00 paperback.

Reviewed by Peter Archer

Today the environmental movement is facing a particularly steep uphill climb. After decades of erosion of social and environmental programs, the rise of multinational corporations, and the drift to the right of both political parties, American environmentalism is challenged on every front. This is the warning bell sounded by Philip Shabecoff in his exhaustive study, Earth Rising. It is a penetrating and broad analysis of the state of the movement with a particular emphasis on why it has failed and what decisions must be made to move forward.

Shabecoff's book is extensively annotated and informed by interviews with many of the key personalities not just of the environmental movement, but of a broad spectrum of social and political movements as well. Indeed, this diversity is central to Shabecoff's vision for the future. Environmentalism must be seen as the central issue of our times, one that is at the core of debate on the economy, on racism, labor relations, land development, free trade, multi-national corporations, and so on. Environmental leaders must work to get this point across, to build a broad coalition, and to take political power, the most promising path to significant change. But as Shabecoff points out, the obstacles in the path are many.

After a short history of the movement as it evolved over the last century, Shabecoff  turns to an analysis of the state of the movement today. Environmentalists hold the moral high ground but fail to capitalize on this, fail to wrestle with the political system as it is, and, frequently working at cross purposes, remain splintered. Corporations outgun them at every turn, frequently controlling the media, education, and so many other aspects of our lives. Shabecoff not only critiques the present and recent past but draws a road map for the future. It is a handbook for coalition-building and could be a useful tool to anyone involved in political activities to improve the environment.

Peter Archer is a practicing architect in Fairfield, Connecticut.