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Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
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Summary
Summary
Forcing the Springchallenges standard histories of the environmental movement by offering a broad and inclusive interpretation of past environmentalist thought and a sweeping redefinition of the nature of the contemporary environmental movement. Robert Gottlieb demonstrates the centrality of environmental concerns to a wide range of social movements of the past century as he explores the connections between pressures on human and natural environments and the role of these pressures in shaping society. His analysis provides fundamental new insights into the past and future of the American environmental movement by placing it within the larger context of American social history.After considering the historical roots of environmentalism from the 1890s through the 1960s, Gottlieb discusses the rise and consolidation of environmental groups in the years between Earth Day 1970 and Earth Day 1990. He examines the increasing professionalization of the major environmental organizations and the parallel rise of community-based groups over the past decade, and ends with an in-depth consideration of the role of ethnicity, gender, and class in the formation and definition of movements.
Author Notes
Robert Gottlieb is the author of several books on environmental and resource policy. Gottlieb is a long-time environmental and social justice activist whose writings have appeared in numerous New Left and environmental journals as well as The Wall Street Journal , Los Angeles Times , and Unomasuno .
Reviews 3
Publisher's Weekly Review
Recently, the environmental movement has been seen as elitist--traditionally dominated by white males with its primary goal being the preservation of wilderness rather than the promoting of responsible stewardship of the planet and its resources. Gottlieb ( Empires in the Sun ) expands the definition of environmentalism to include more sociological issues that affect daily life in the community and the workplace. He discusses gender, ethnicity and class as factors in environmental problems, examines alternative movements and grassroots action, such as the protests about Love Canal. Gottlieb introduces Alice Hamilton, pioneer in occupational and community health, as an equal of John Muir. Moving from arguments about protecting the natural environment to a discussion of social justice, he notes that many diverse groups share a common goal in their search for a response to the dominant urban and industrial order. A timely and provocative study. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Choice Review
The term "environmentalism" has become synonymous with the protection of natural rather than human environments. Moreover, because nature is increasingly a playground for the elite and because mainstream environmental groups tend to be run by affluent, white, and primarily male professionals, environmentalism is also perceived as out of touch with the "real world," where people--especially people of color, poor people, and women--struggle against such gritty consequences of industrialism as toxic wastes, occupational diseases, chemical spills, and urban decay. In this highly readable history of American environmentalism, Gottlieb argues that all of these campaigns, from wilderness to worker safety, are part of a broad-based quality-of-life movement. Unfortunately, mainstream preservation groups often neglect to look beyond the interests of their membership, leaving it to grassroots activist groups to make the connections between their particular causes and the wider struggle for social justice. Such connections are an essential part of a redefined "environmental movement," Gottlieb insists, one that would recognize the need for both human and natural environments to be hospitable to their inhabitants. An excellent addition to environmental studies collection. All levels. L. Vance; Vermont College
Library Journal Review
This book will considerably expand most readers' knowledge of environmentalism as experienced in the past and present in the United States. Gottlieb, a teacher in UCLA's Urban Planning Program and author of several other books on the environment, offers a broad interpretation, beginning with a history of the environmental movement in this country from the 1890s forward, then examining contemporary environmental groups of the past 20 years. Mainstream groups such as the National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society, and Sierra Club are discussed, as are Greenpeace and various grass-roots organizations that are often considered alternative movements. Finally, individual chapters are devoted to gender, ethnicity, and class as they relate to environmentalism. This heavily documented but quite readable work is a good choice for academic libraries and for public libraries with collections on the environment.-- William H. Wiese, Iowa State Univ. Libs., Ames (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
