The Land That Could Be: Environmentalism and Democracy in the Twenty-First Century (Urban and Industrial Environments)

Rating:
Summary: A lyrical and compelling work -- though somewhat Utopian
Review: Bill Shutkin's sensitivity to the environment and the human dimension of ecological concerns shines through brilliantly in this book. The case studies which are at the core of his narrative and his exposition of environmental problems are well-researched, and well-experienced. As an activist/lawyer/entrepreneur/academic, Shutkin provides an unusual blend of insights which are indeed rare in environmental literature.

Optimism permeates this book which is certainly refreshing to many readers who are probably tired of the gloom and doom that resonates from many green texts. The foreword by David Brower is perhaps a prelude to this optimism and to the change in perception and outlook concerning environmental policy among activists.

Nevertheless, the primacy of this change in contemporary times is perhaps overstated by Shutkin. I was somewhat disappointed with the Amero-centric nature of the text, particularly when it comes to the poetic celebration of so global an issue as environmentalism. By this I do not mean the case selection - which is quite appropriate considering Shutkin's own expertise in working with certain communities. Rather, I am more concerned with the way in which the "reforms" within civic society are heralded as a hallmark of American democracy. Indeed, the work of the Austrian / British economist and thinker E.F. Schumacher (who died in the seventies) are not even mentioned. Much of the community oriented "small is beautiful" approach which is at the core of Shutkin's argument can be found there (and elsewhere), and has been in motion for decades.

I think that the book should have perhaps been less ambitious in its title and argument by focusing on a certain class of environmental concerns where a sense of place and association with the land can be imbibed. It is important for all of us to consider that there are also many environmental concerns, where such associations are impossible to foster - many global environmental issues such as climate change, ozone depletion or other scientifically dependent areas of environmental concerns which do indeed require a certain intellectual "elite" and an elaborate decision-making apparatus. Let us also not forget that even at the community level and the urban planning level, many of the great success stories of environmental reform have worked with strong top-down approaches - Singapore being a living example. Also, what is one to do when civic environmentalism does not emerge even within a democratic process? The book should have perhaps addressed such anomalies to the argument.

Despite these minor shortcomings, this book is a momentous achievement which will undoubtedly spur much reflection and debate.

Rating:
Summary: The Land That Could Be is a call to action
Review: I wrote The Land That Could Be because I believe the environment is more than the just the remote and wild places so many of us love. It is an essential part of our everyday lives, no matter where we live or who we are. It is the raw matter that constitutes and sustains us; it is the boundless envelope that contains us. I wrote the book to urge that the same concern we have for beautiful, distant places we should have for the environment of the everyday, the places in which most of us live or work or play.

I'm a tree hugger by nature, quite literally. I fancy myself an arborist, frequently leading street trees tours in Cambridge, MA, where I live. I'm also an environmentalist who is passionate about the land and ecosystems. But for me, environmentalism has always been about more than just protecting natural areas and wilderness from the ravages of industrial society, and more than simply relying on a system of laws and policies to achieve that protection. It's about each of us, as individuals and communities, acting on the profound ecological notion that all things are connected - wilderness to city, industry to ecology, black to white, rich to poor - and that we should be good environmental stewards no matter where we live, how much money we have, or whether or not we are card-carrying members of an established environmental group.

My book is really a call to arms to citizens, environmentalists, politicians and businesspeople to take on the environmental challenges in their communities and, in the process, to revitalize civic life and recreate their economies in the image of ecosystems. Through examples of real people in real places doing extraordinary things (often with little help from existing environmental laws), I hope to encourage local action and a more expansive understanding of what it means to be an environmentalist. Perhaps most important, I want to inspire readers to think about their legacy, about what they're leaving to their children and their grandchildren, things like smog-free skies, rivers and lakes safe for swimming, and leafy parks noisy with birdsong, not just faster computers or smaller handhelds. In the end, I want readers to become engaged in the life of their communities to finally build a society whose physical environment both reflects and reinforces the social ideals on which it is based.

Thanks and enjoy the book.

Bill Shutkin

Rating:
Summary: relief from the gloom-and-doom
Review: Not that Shutkin fails to understand how serious our environmental problems are. He knows. This is no Polyanna-style tale a la Greg Easterbrook, telling lies about how trivial environmental degradation is in order to sell books. Shutkin ralizes that our problems are serious, even life-threatening. But he thinks that we can begin to resolve them, if only we can find the will to begin, rather in the style of Diana Muir in her new book Bullough's Pond. Some of his solutions may not be workable, but surely Shutkin is correct to urge us to try.

Rating:
Summary: The Land that Will Be (if we become more civically active)
Review: This is one of the most inspiring books I have read in years. When I choose to read a non-fiction book, which is rather infrequently, this is exactly the kind of book I hope for -- engaging from the first page on, well-researched, analytical, passionate and ultimately deeply meaningful. The environmental movement has had a rather narrow audience historically, but this book -- because of its basic premise that the environment is inextricably linked to all facets of our lives and because of the author's embracing style -- could serve to open up the field a great deal more. As I was reading this book, I felt a deep sense that there really is no other way to approach the significant environmental problems facing us than the way Shutkin promotes (through grass-roots citizen coalitions). I found this realization not to be burdensome but to be profoundly uplifting. Shutkin's case studies of successful civic environmentalism prove that democracy is alive and well in certain communities in our country and that, indeed, the grass will always be greener in America if more of us exercise our personal power to keep it that way.

Rating:
Summary: The Land that Will Be (if we become more civically active)
Review: This is one of the most inspiring books I have read in years. When I choose to read a non-fiction book, which is rather infrequently, this is exactly the kind of book I hope for -- engaging from the first page on, well-researched, analytical, passionate and ultimately deeply meaningful. The environmental movement has had a rather narrow audience historically, but this book -- because of its basic premise that the environment is inextricably linked to all facets of our lives and because of the author's embracing style -- could serve to open up the field a great deal more. As I was reading this book, I felt a deep sense that there really is no other way to approach the significant environmental problems facing us than the way Shutkin promotes (through grass-roots citizen coalitions). I found this realization not to be burdensome but to be profoundly uplifting. Shutkin's case studies of successful civic environmentalism prove that democracy is alive and well in certain communities in our country and that, indeed, the grass will always be greener in America if more of us exercise our personal power to keep it that way.