Book Description
Five years ago Dr. J. Matthew Sleeth and his family lived in a big house, had two luxury cars, loads of money, and lots of stuff. As chief of the medical staff at a large hospital, Sleeth was living the American dream--until he realized that something was terribly wrong. As he saw patient after patient suffering from cancer, asthma, and other chronic diseases, he began to understand that the Earth and its inhabitants were in trouble. Feeling helpless, he turned to his faith for guidance. He discovered how the timeless lessons of personal responsibility, simplicity, and stewardship taught in the Bible could be applied to modern life. The Sleeths have since sold their big home and given away more than half of what they once owned. In Serve God, Save the Planet, Sleeth shares the joy of adopting a less materialistic lifestyle, and reveals what was easy and what was hard about the changes his family has made. Drawing on science and religion, Sleeth builds a bridge between environmentalists and mainstream Christians. He and his family are harbingers of the creation care movement, which calls on all those who love God to love our planet. Sleeth shares how material downscaling led his family to healthier lifestyles, stronger relationships, and richer spiritual lives. Serve God, Save the Planet is more than a book: it is a prescription for taking personal responsibility for global survival.
Customer Reviews:
Great stories and great ideas.......2007-09-10
I bought this book after hearing Sleeth speak (via the web) at Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan. I just finished the book and I really enjoyed it. Many of the topics that Sleeth covers have been on my mind lately but he definitely gave me some new ones to consider (ie. pets--yikes!). My plan is to go through his suggested action items (back of the book) and highlight the ones we've accomplished and make a list of new ones to tackle. I am sold on this concept; however, my family isn't quite there yet.
I have recently begun volunteering at a Christian agency that helps the underresourced. In doing so, I have become acutely aware of American (and my own) consumerism. So many things have only been used once or not at all and then they come to us. One day the fire marshall almost shut us down because we had mountains of donations. It is great that people are generous but wouldn't it would be better if they'd not bought so much stuff in the first place, only to donate it and buy new and different stuff?
I'm sure I will loan this book to tons of people in an effort to do my part to "Save the Planet." I'm fairly sure that it'll be around for me, I'm just worried about my kids and grandkids!
amazing.......2007-09-03
I'd recommend this book to everyone. We live in a world that has become so focused on consumption and production that we forget that we really don't need all this stuff. This book is written by a former doctor who has transformed his life (as well as his family's) into one that is very simple, yet incredibly peaceful, and wonderfully dedicated to God's glory.
We often associate environmentalism and "nature-loving" with hippies... but why not associate it with God? After all, He created it.
An Amish life for me?.......2007-08-16
I enjoyed Mr. Mathew Sleeth's book immensely and there was much I took issue with. It is indeed disappointing to see such an earnest effort fall short. He speaks with authority on many subjects but has credibility with but a few. Mostly I do not find fault with his interpretation of scripture. It is in other areas that his knowledge is thin, non-existent or worse yet takes, as authority, information from others that is unsubstantiated. A significant percentage of the "facts" presented are implied to be common knowledge when in actuality they are, unfortunately, little more than a recitation of the pandering that comes from mass media. Mr. Sleeth skates past the documented benefits of the industrial revolution with an ease that is disturbing. Where Mr. Sleeth encourages us to live _personally_ greener lives is where his arguments are strongest. I for one am not interested in de-evolving to an "Amish" lifestyle. Surely he cannot believe that our God wants us to life a life that is restricted to the technology of the 17th century. I suspect that the world's _current_ population could not be fed if much of the western world's population adopted it anyway. I must ask the question, "Do you suppose God would bless the act of feeding starving children in Africa any less, IF the vegetables were grown organically versus the most current high production methods?" Read this book with a jaundiced / discerning eye. This is truly a case where the wheat must be sorted from the chaff. Not only did God give me two hands, he also gave me a brain. Now if you'll excuse me, I see that there are three more ripe tomatoes in the garden and we're having beans for dinner.
Great Christian stewardship outline.......2007-07-20
This book succinctly highlights our duty as children of God to care for each other and His creation. By making both small and large sacrifices, we can impove our contentment while saving the planet for the enjoyment of future generations. Thank you, Dr. Sleeth for providing a quickly readable, yet thought provoking call to action which should be used in church discussion groups nationwide.
Strays from his area of expertise.......2007-07-18
After three chapters, I said to my wife -- this is GREAT. Indeed, the first five chapters are a well-structured synopsis of the environmental concerns we are facing, and a wake-up call to Christians to participate in restorative work. From there, the book degenerates quickly.
The rest of the book is simply filler to make a profitable book -- a discussion of issues on the fringe of environmental concern. Consumerism is a relevant issue, for example, but unnecessary is an at-length comparison of Jesus and Santa Claus. Sleeth ventures far from his area of expertise, including some extremely shaky exegesis at times. There is an analysis of Revelation that is especially unfounded. Also disappointing is his lack of practical advice -- this is relegated to a few redundant references (lightbulbs, clotheslines, etc) and a few sparse appendices at the back of the book.
Sleeth could have published this book as a much smaller edition, including his first five chapters and an extended discussion on practical approaches to helping the environment. Seems like a lot of wasted paper and energy for a book that does not seem to contribute much, if anything, new to the environmental movement. Overall, I was very disappointed and honestly, more frustrated when finished than any book I've read for quite some time.
Book Description
This acidly funny account of the battle over an offshore wind farm is both a fascinating window on the business and politics of energy and a scathing portrait of the ruling class.
When Jim Gordon set out to build a wind farm off the coast of Cape Cod, he knew some people might object. But there was a lot of merit in creating a privately funded, clean energy source for energy-starved New England, and he felt sure most people would recognize it eventually. Instead, all Hell broke loose. Gordon had unwittingly challenged the privileges of some of America's richest and most politically connected people, and they would fight him tooth and nail, no matter what it cost, and even when it made no sense.
Cape Wind is a rollicking tale of democracy in action and plutocracy in the raw as played out among colorful and glamorous characters on one of our country's most historic and renowned pieces of coastline. As steeped in American history and local color as The Prince of Providence; as biting, revealing and fun as Philistines at the Hedgerow, it is also a cautionary tale about how money can hijack democracy while America lags behind the rest of the developed world in adopting clean energy.
Customer Reviews:
Outrageous Hypocrisy Revealed.......2007-09-07
Well researched and written. This book should be read by everyone who is really concerned about the reduction in use of fossil fuels. The outrageous hypocrisy of politicians of both parties as well as some of the beautiful people who claim to support the development of alternative energy sources is laid out for all to see.
A must read for any energy entrepreneur.......2007-09-03
It would be shame for an energy entrepreneur to be tripped up by the obfuscation described in this great book without its warning. Extensively researched, masterfully written, a lesson of the times. Read it and learn! Bet you won't be able to put it down,
Cutting edge history in the making.......2007-08-21
Cape Wind is a brilliant account of a project that has the potential to revolutionize the energy future of the US. It couldn't be more timely, given the current energy crisis, the need for serious and concrete solutions and the fact that the controversy over the project is happening at this very moment.
The authors provide a powerful experience - the opportunity to gain a thorough understanding of the politics and history of this project as it unfolds every day. The presentation of the facts and players is fascinating; their delivery of the story is incredibly entertaining.
Read it now and stay tuned to the project - History is being made!
Amazing... We need a documentary on this!!!.......2007-08-21
There's too much happening here to not have a well executed and informative documentary on this. It may seem like a small issue to those outside of it, but it's implications reach much further than the Cape.
Read this easy to follow and well written account of this project and engage yourself into todays questions about our planet and our political stratosphere.
Tad over the top- but very valuable for students & voters.......2007-08-20
We used the Cape Wind story in public policy class this winter (b4 this book came out), & students were fascinated. This book does illuminate the major actors, and provides in depth background for why a policy with this many public benefits has been stalled for years. Romney, the Kennedys, Alaskan politicians, and the Cape Cod Times (although they are good about my letters when I go home)should be ashamed of themselves.
Book Description
World Agriculture and the Environment presents a unique assessment of agricultural commodity production and the environmental problems it causes, along with prescriptions for increasing efficiency and reducing damage to natural systems. Drawing on his extensive travel and research in agricultural regions around the world, and employing statistics from a range of authoritative sources including the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the author examines twenty of the world’s major crops, including beef, coffee, corn, rice, rubber, shrimp, sorghum, tea, and tobacco. For each crop, he offers comparative information including:
• a “fast facts” overview section that summarizes key data for the crop
• main producing and consuming countries
• main types of production
• market trend information and market chain analyses
• major environmental impacts
• management strategies and best practices
• key contacts and references
With maps of major commodity production areas worldwide, the book represents the first truly global portrait of agricultural production patterns and environmental impacts.
Customer Reviews:
Quick review.......2006-03-01
World Agriculture and Environment in my opinion is a very interestig book, in which you can find, besides the basic information of agricultural production, techniques that help to reduce damage to natural systems, and also this book gives important evaluations of modern agriculture and its failure.
Superb reference.......2004-05-18
This is a superb and unique reference. It provides an incredible amount of detail on crops that enter world trade, and their impact on the environment.
The very best thing about this book is that it is not strident and does not blatantly advocate a particular political agenda. It is written in a scientific, objective tone that makes it far more convincing than the rhetorical works. Only when he comes to tobacco (a crop that ruins the environment AND then ruins the consumers) does he use a few value-laden words!
The reader is struck by what a mess the world is in, and how easily we could fix a lot of that. The book provides enormous detail on soil erosion, chemical use, biodiversity reduction, and the rest of our woes, but it presents equal detail on how to prevent those problems. Only a few crops (notably cotton, salmon, chocolate) would be hard to manage well.
Two social themes stand out: first, the very rapid concentration of commodity trade in the hands of a very few firms; second, the degree to which governments subsidize production-at-any-cost as opposed to production-with-environmental-protection. (Subsidizing includes nonlegal subsidies, such as letting the rich get away with breaking environmental laws and dumping huge costs on poorer neighbors.) One cannot escape the conclusion that changing this subsidy structure would fix most of the damage, worldwide.
Environmentalists should think more about subsidies!
Meanwhile, what can a concerned reader do? The book tells how to seek out shade-grown coffee, responsibly raised beef and paper, and so on. It is much harder, at least in the US, to find decently-produced soybeans or corn or wheat, but you can do it. Cotton is a special problem, and the alternatives to it are mostly worse. The hemp advocates will be vocal!
We are in such a mess, and it would be so easy to do so much.... This is not a time to lose hope or give up. By providing the big picture, this book should make every concerned citizen stop and think. The few errors I could spot in the book are trivial ones.
This is an absolute must-read and must-have for anyone who works on problems of production and environment or on problems of world food supply and health.
Book Description
An illustrated story about the relationship between a mother, a daughter, and the Earth.
Customer Reviews:
THE BEST!.......2007-07-03
When I first looked at this book, I rolled my eyes. The Earth is My Mother? But when I opened the book, and I began to read, something made me want to cry, and make a difference. I understand Sarah's love for nature, and the inspiring tale of her makes me want to stand up and save the world. The way all her snapshots oddly made one picture of a mother, HER mother, OUR Mother, it just made me so happy. This book looked so..well..stupid, and right now, I can hardly believe my previous thoughts about it. I practically hugged this book. The next day, when I almost littered, I stopped myself, because I remembered this book. A life changing tale about a girl who makes a difference...all for her dead mother, and though she didn't know it, for herself...to protect Magic Canyon.
Another "earth" book I love for the illustrations is:
Dear Children of the Earth.
I also love a novel about how hope can work miracles, that is an all-time FAVORITE of mine:
The Secret Garden
Imaginative book for nature lovers.......2005-01-08
If you and your children love nature and the outdoors, give yourself a treat and read this book together. I read this with my 10 year olds, and all three of us loved it. There is enough adventure to spark a child's imagination, and the tale provides opportunities for teaching one's children about important conservation issues. The artwork is wonderful, and we had the poster which is included with the book matted and framed. My girls love to look at the poster, and discuss again the details of the story that are depicted in this wonderful artwork by Bev Doolittle. This is a book that your children will remember and return to again and again.
Restoring the circle...........2001-09-30
THE EARTH IS MY MOTHER is the tale of a girl named "Star" -- a spunky 11-year and a true heroine. EMM has been beautifully illustrated by Bev Doolittle--known for her "camouflage" Native American and wildlife artwork. Since millions of dollars from the proceeds of Ms. Doolittle's works have gone to support the National Wildlife Federation, you can imagine the major theme of this book is the preservation of the wilderness. The storyline is based on Ms. Doolittle's concept but the text was actually written by Elise Maclay, author of two books of poetry, "Approaching Autumn" and "Green Winter." EMM is a feast for the ear and the eye.
I cannot praise this book enough as it reflects all my core beliefs--that girls can be strong, brave, and caring individuals, that traditional cultures have much to teach us, that we are all part of the great circle of life, and that we are made from stardust and the earth is our mother.
As a childhood fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder's stories, Thorton Burgess' "Old Mother West Wind" tales, and fan of American Indian traditions and lore as well as a lover of the great outdoors, I was pleased to discover a book I could hand to my granddaughters with these words, "You want to know what life is about? read this book."
adventure story for children who love nature.......2000-06-18
This is a beautifully written adventure story set in the Southwest which my son and daughter, ages 10 and 11, both loved. It made a terrific family 'read aloud' for all of us. Like most kids today, they are conservationists and lovers of nature and Native American lore. The author artfully sets forth an important environmental issue, destruction of habitat, in an adventure-story format. The 11 year old heroine, Sarah, is brave and delightful, wrestling not only with saving the earth but family difficulties my kids empathized with. The illustrations by Bev Doolittle -- 'camoflague' art the kids loved to piece together -- are gorgeous. We loved it! I'm ordering a few copies for friends -- it's a great summer read for kids.
the earth is my mother.......2000-05-19
When an eleven years old girl, wise beyond her years, deeply feels for the earth and its endless bounty of beauty and truth embarks on a journey that encompasses the circle of life. Her "vision quest" begins to save a magical canyon. Capturing justice with her camera she finds that in her photography along with the assistance of the media, they are able to give back to Mother Earth and its preservation of truth, beauty and the pursuit of happiness. It is recommended for young adults, however, the spirit of this book can touch anyone and it's art is too real!
Book Description
Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Natural Resource Management examines how traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is taught and practiced today among Native communities. Of special interest is the complex relationship between indigenous ecological practices and other ways of interacting with the environment, particularly regional and national programs of natural resource management.
Focusing primarily on the northwest coast of North America, scholars look at the challenges and opportunities confronting the local practice of indigenous ecological knowledge in a range of communities, including the Tsimshian, the Nisga’a, the Tlingit, the Gitksan, the Kwagult, the Sto:lo, and the northern Dene in the Yukon. The experts consider how traditional knowledge is taught and learned and address the cultural importance of different subsistence practices using natural elements such as seaweed (Gitga’a), pine mushrooms (Tsimshian), and salmon (Tlingit). Several contributors discuss the extent to which national and regional programs of resource management need to include models of TEK in their planning and execution.
This volume highlights the different ways of seeing and engaging with the natural world and underscores the need to acknowledge and honor the ways that indigenous peoples have done so for generations.
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Environmental Issues in American History: A Reference Guide with Primary Documents (Major Issues in American History)
Chris J. Magoc
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
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Down to Earth: Nature's Role in American History
ASIN: 0313322082 |
Book Description
Controversy surrounding environmental issues is not a recent development in American history. Since the time of the early settlers, issues concerning the environment have plagued certain groups of Americans. In this exhaustively researched study, primary documents support different sides of various questions, such as the use of water as an energy source, deforestation, gold mining in California, and the emergence of wildlife conservation. High school and college students will not only find this book extremely comprehensive, but will also find its heated discussions exceptionally engaging. Some of the major topics covered include: BLDifferences between the way Native Americans and early settlers treated the land BLThe Land Ordinance of 1785 BLThomas Jefferson's views about the land BLThe commercial progress of New England river valleys BLAct establishing the Adirondack Forest Preserve in 1885 BLTheodore Roosevelt's thoughts on forest conservation BLThe pros and cons of hydraulic gold mining BLThe near-extinction of the North American bison BLThe Lacey Act Magoc's book will prove an essential asset for all American history students.
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A Short History of the Future: Surviving the 2030 Spike
Colin Mason
Manufacturer: Earthscan Publications Ltd.
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1844073467 |
Book Description
* This is a revised edition of Colin Mason's "The 2030 Spike", that received the following acclaim:
* "A bold, thought-provoking and ultimately rewarding [read], well-researched, full of ideas and thus a good, all-round primer on the state
of the planet." -- BBC Wildlife
* "An impressive tour of our current world: from sexual slavery to sailing ships, from malaria to microcredits, from nanotechnology to
neopaganism, all the horrors and promises of our troubled Zeitgeist seem to be reflected here." -- Resurgence
* "Only the foolhardy would surely dare leave it unread on the shelf." -- International Affairs
Has the future a future? Are we bringing history to an end? If we look at any one of several individual but critical trends, it would appear that history might have only a short way to run.
This book describes the seven natural and human-made drivers that will converge around the year 2030 and wreak havoc:
§ depleted fuel supplies
§ massive population growth
§ poverty
§ global climate change
§ famine
§ growing water shortages
§ international lawlessness.
In this compelling book, Colin Mason explains in clear and irrefutable terms what is going on—largely below the surface of our daily or weekly news bulletins. The picture he paints is stark, and yet it is not bleak. Being forewarned, we are forearmed, and he draws on his own extensive political experience to describe how much we can do as individuals, and above all collectively, not merely to avert crisis but to engineer thoroughgoing change that can usher in genuinely sustainable and valuable alternatives to the way we live now.
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- Must Read
- A profound philosophical and ecological wake-up call
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The Death of Our Planet's Species: A Challenge To Ecology And Ethics
Martin Gorke
Manufacturer: Island Press
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ASIN: 1559639571 |
Book Description
The present rate and extent of species extinction -- estimated by some scientists as one species every 20 minutes -- are unprecedented in the history of mankind. Human activities are responsible for nearly all species loss, yet ethical aspects of this crisis are rarely mentioned. Any concern expressed tends to be over potentially valuable resources -- information for scientists, or compounds that could be used in new medicines -- that are lost when a species disappears.
In The Death of Our Planet's Species, Martin Gorke argues that such a utilitarian perspective is not only shortsighted but morally bankrupt. Holding doctoral degrees in both ecology and philosophy, Gorke is uniquely qualified to examine the extinction crisis from both scientific and philosophical perspectives. He offers a wide-ranging review of the literature on the subject, drawing together those two lines of reasoning that are almost always pursued separately.
After critical examination of the current state of relevant ecological knowledge, Gorke presents a carefully considered case for attributing intrinsic value to all of nature, including all species. At the heart of his argument is an analysis of the concept of morality. According to this analysis, the universal character of morality does not permit us to establish limits of moral considerability. More precisely, every act of exclusion from the moral community is an arbitrary act and is not compatible with a moral point of view.
The Death of Our Planet's Species sets forth a sound and original argument about the philosophical and ethical dimensions of species conservation. Throughout, the author combines a high level of theoretical sophistication with clear and straightforward writing. Orignially published in German, this Island Press edition makes The Death of Our Planet's Species available for the first time to English-speaking experts and lay readers.
Customer Reviews:
Must Read.......2003-12-10
Gorke's book brings methodological and ethical issues of practicing and using ecological research into a clear focus. He asks a series of difficult questions about the state of the science and addresses the complex sets of social and ecology interactions that must be considered in any realistic discussion of extinction, sustainability, or "ecosystem health." A must read, but perhaps troubling to the epistemologically faint-of-heart.
A profound philosophical and ecological wake-up call.......2003-10-19
Knowledgeably written by Martin Gorke (Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Ethics at the University of Greifswald, Germany), The Death Of Our Planet's Species: A Challenge To Ecology And Ethics is a profound philosophical and ecological wake-up call concerning the mass extinctions caused by the explosion of human population with all that this phenomena comprises. Expressing the terrible losses caused by the destructions of entire species, and denouncing the moral bankruptcy of valuing species only with regard to how useful they appear to humans, The Death Of Our Planet's Species is a profound, forceful, extensively researched warning of the need to respect life on Earth itself -- and should be part of every environmental activist, academic, and community library Environmental Studies collection and reading list.
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- Well-Presented Material
- Truths, lies, and myths surrounding a range of water issues
- For water ignorants
- Most amazing book series ever by a business person
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Troubled Water: Saints, Sinners, Truth And Lies About The Global Water Crisis
Anita Roddick ,
Brooke Shelby Biggs ,
Robert F., Jr. Kennedy ,
Vandana Shiva ,
Maude Barlow , and
Tony Clarke
Manufacturer: Chelsea Green Publishing Company
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Take It Personally: How to Make Conscious Choices to Change the World
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The Hospital by the River: A Story of Hope
ASIN: 095439593X |
Book Description
Around the world, one billion people lack access to clean water. Droughts, floods, and waterborne diseases kill tens, perhaps hundreds, of millions of people (mostly children) every year. And huge multinational corporations see a profit opportunity unparalleled even by oil or gold. From Bolivia to Britain, water supplies are being privatized and sold for profit, cutting millions off from the single most crucial human need. Meanwhile, consumers in industrialized countries such as Italy, Britain, Australia, and the United States eagerly drink millions of liters of bottled water every day--some of which is less pure than the stuff flowing from their taps at home--at a cost of about one thousand times what tap water costs. In America, beef-flavored bottled water for dogs is sold; in Nigeria, you can buy a bottle of water guaranteed to make men more virile. Why are the politics of water so skewed, and whatÂ's being done about it? This book explores the problems and the solutions, and provides resources for ordinary readers to get involved.
Customer Reviews:
Well-Presented Material.......2006-02-21
I found this book to be a very compelling source of information about our Global water crisis. It presented information in formats that are very clear and to the point. It illustrates quite well the tug-of-war going on today between corporations that sell bottled water and/or soft drinks and the people of countries who desperately need that water at low prices. This book defines water's critical role in the network of the earth's resources and how clean water should be the right of all human beings, not a commodity purchased by corporations and sold at huge profits. A must read!
Truths, lies, and myths surrounding a range of water issues.......2005-02-10
Anita Roddick is both an entrepreneur and an activist and in Troubled Water: Saints, Sinners, Truth And Lies About The Global Water Crisis, informatively surveys the issues involved in worldwide potable water availability, from the politics of water distribution and water quality to global warming and bottled water myths. Essays from Greenpeace, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others, outline truths, lies, and myths surrounding a range of world water issues.
For water ignorants.......2004-10-15
This book could well be termed Water 101, but if you have been interested in water for more than a day, it is likely you already know more than what is inside. Besides, the information is poorly displayed in my opinion.
Most amazing book series ever by a business person.......2004-10-01
Troubled Water is part of an amazing library of books Anita Roddick, global entrepreneur and founder of Body Shop, has spent much of the last 3 years authoring and is publishing simultaneously.
Troubled Water is likely to have extraordinary consequences for global corporations in the water and soft drinks industries. For years, this sector has been asked by poor countries to collaborate responsibly and not to try to take over water in countries where cumulatively a billion people already have no fresh water access. As the author of World Class Brands 15 years ago, and a marketer ashamed to agree with most of Naomi Klein's charges of how much badwill global marketing has needlessly compounded over the last decade and a half, it will need a heroic and deeply human response from the likes of Coca-Cola if it is to remain in top 10 global branding lists 5 years out.
It is fitting that within days of the publication of Troubled Water, the president of the World Bank has declared a war on global poverty. Over in Britain, from where I submit this review, you can be assured that Water will be the main activist theme aligning 20000 concerned people converging for the European Social Forum (October 2004), and celebrating the Brazilian led launch of the International Free Water Academy. It is time the people of the world took back the branding of the humanity of water, and 2005 is a year jammed full of large scale change networking events, each of which will pay special tribute to water as a symbol of human freedom. Troubled Water is a book of our times, the start of an activepeace movement as well as with your and my god's blessings a whirlwind contributor to James Wolfesohn's war on poverty. It would be fitting to pay tribute to his and Anita's common sense of humanity and water with the way the World Bank declares our future's interdependence at every locality of the globe:
"The big issue of our time is global security. At present, we view it mostly through the lens of Baghdad or Beslan. While we certainly have to deal with these and other immediate concerns, by far, the greatest potential source of instability on our planet today is poverty, and the hopelessness and despair that it brings to so many in our world. Sixty years ago, the world recognized the need to bring hope to the millions of people left in shattered nations after World War II, and the World Bank was created to help them rebuild their lives. Its mission today remains as critical as it was then, if not more so. It is in all our best interests to help countries that struggle with crushing poverty to take basic steps, such as getting boys and girls into school; preventing diseases like H.I.V./AIDS, malaria and diarrhea; protecting our forests and oceans; and removing obstacles to trade so that poor farmers can get their products to market. Helping poor countries develop in this way is not merely the right thing to do ( though, of course, it is): investing in development is the safe thing to do. My generation did not grow up thinking this way. We thought there were two worlds - the haves and the have-nots - and that they were, for the most part, quite separate. That was wrong then. It is even more wrong now. The wall that many of us imagined as separating the rich countries from the poor countries came down on Sept. 11, 2001. We are linked now in so many ways: by economics and trade, migration, environment, disease, drugs and conflict. In our world of six billion people, one billion have 80 percent of the world's GDP, while the other five billion have the remaining 20 percent. Nearly half this world lives on less than $2 per day. One billion people have no access to clean water; over 100 million children never get the chance to go to school...
Average customer rating:
- Forest Fire Not the Problem, Forest Service Is
- A Justifiably Burning Issue
- A good case for abolishing the Forest Service
- Searing Insights on a Hot Topic
- Fire Liar for Hire?
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A Burning Issue: A Case for Abolishing the U.S. Forest Service (The Political Economy Forum)
Robert H. Nelson
Manufacturer: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0847697355 |
Book Description
In A Burning Issue, Robert Nelson makes a compelling case for abolishing the U.S. Forest Service. Created in the early 20th century to provide scientific management of the nation's forests, the U.S. Forest Service was, for many years, regarded as a model agency in the federal government. Nelson contends that this reputation is undeserved and the Forest Service's performance today is unacceptable. Nelson advocates replacing the service with a decentralized system to manage the protection of our national forests.
Customer Reviews:
Forest Fire Not the Problem, Forest Service Is.......2001-10-18
Excerpted from a book review by Ronald N. Johnson in the Independent Review (Fall 2001)
In A Burning Issue, Robert Nelson argues that the U.S. Forest Service is demoralized within and besieged from without by a wide array of interest groups. He attributes this sorry state of affairs to the Forest Service's inability to define its mission in a time of rapidly changing values in American society. His solution to this predicament is to abolish the agency.
"The leading policy issue today on the national forest system--issues that demonstrate the inability of the current Forest Service to deal with the basic problems of the national forests--revolve around forest fire and its ecological consequences." Federal fire policy has sought to eliminate fire, but has instead merely changed its time and place. Wildfires have gone from being high-frequency, low-intensity events, which sustained certain ecosystems, to low-frequency, high-intensity fires prompting costly suppression attempts that have often proved futile.
According to Nelson, a variety of interest groups have converged to sustain the fire-suppression policy. There is litle question that interest groups shape policies and political behavior, but Nelson's book would not win high praise from academics for its application of public-choice concepts. Although Nelson may have correctly identified the underlying interest groups, he does not offer evidence to support his claims about their politicking. However, such an analysis is not his objective. Rather, he seeks to make the case not only that Forest Service fire policy, along with reductions in timber harvests, has been a costly mistake, but that the alternative approach advocated by many so-called environmentalists is also fraught with contradictions and costs.
Although I concur with Nelson's recommendation to abolish the Forest Service, I think it is an unlikely outcome, and his intermediate or short-run proposal offers only limited benefits. Nevertheless, his book should be required reading for all students of government, not only those concerned with Forest Service policy, because it provides an excellent source in any attempt to understand the consequences of allowing a governmental agency to become so buffeted by competing pressure groups that it loses direction and becomes an even more costly entity.
A Justifiably Burning Issue.......2001-02-22
This is a superb analysis of a once great government agency. Mr. Nelson makes a compelling case for abolishing the Forest Service -- his book merits the thoughtful attention of anyone concerned with the preservation and responsible management of our nation's national forests....this includes the Forest Service itself!
A good case for abolishing the Forest Service.......2000-11-23
Robert Nelson argues that it's time to abolish the U.S. Forest Service. Nelson spent 18 years in the Department of Interior's policy shop, and he knows the issues. His book covers the history of the Forest Service and its policies that lead - to some extent - to this year's devastating Western wildfires. The service has made too many resource management mistakes. It doesn't have the same interest in forestry and grazing management as the people who reside in the areas the service manages. Nelson makes a convincing case that the people with strong local interests in resource management could certainly do no worse than the Forest Service when it comes to preventing devastating fires, so let's give them a chance. As Nelson explains, ecosystem management from on high is used to justify anything the service might want to do, but top the top-down approach doesn't work any longer for resource management. And, as Nelson writes, it's not just the executive branch that needs a new approach. Congress might not know what it's doing, either: "Federal politics is today dominated by national television networks and other media that distort as often as clarify the real forest issues. If decisions for the forests of the West are made in Washington, most democratically elected representatives will be far removed from the places where their decisions take effect. Many members of Congress will have never visited the national forests where their votes will be determining future policy." This book should be assigned to all forestry majors, in colleges everywhere. (Note-I wrote about this book for Timberlinemag.com.)
Searing Insights on a Hot Topic.......2000-09-06
The recent wildfires in New Mexico and Colorado are a painful illustration of the costs of federal land management. America's National Parks and National Forests are in disarray; millions of acres are just one spark away from complete conflaguration. Thus, the latest political economy forum book, Robert Nelson's A Burning Issue: A Case for Abolishing the U.s. Forest Service could not be more timely. Nelson, a professor at the University of Maryland (and a former colleague of mine at the Competitive Enterprise Institute) lays out why Smokey the Bear must shoulder much of the blame for turning the national forests into a tinderbox. Political management of the U.S. Forest Service lies at the heart of its current difficulties, Nelson explains. It is not simply a matter of the wrong leadership or wrong institutional mission. Building on his earlier work on federal land management, Nelson shows why neither the progressive era doctrine of "scientific management," nor newer notions of "ecosystem management" or "natural regulation" can solve the current mess. Only a wholesale reconstitution of the forest service's structure and responsibilities will suffice. Indeed, Nelson explains why America's forests, and neighboring communities, would be safer were the forest service eliminated altogether in favor of decentralized forest units directly responsible for their management and care. For the forests' sake, hope that such an approach becomes politically viable before the next fiery maelstrom ignites.
[Note, this review originally appeared as part of my column in the Washington Times.]
Fire Liar for Hire?.......2000-08-17
With nearly 5 billion acres ablaze out West this summer, Nelson's book is well-timed if poorly thought out. His thesis is that the Forest Service should be abolished entirely and he's being funded by the Competitive Enterprise Institute -- a "shill tank" for less government and more big business profiteering -- to say as much. The problem is that the REAL problem (as Nelson admits) is too much fire suppression for too long out west. Nelson argues that a "fuel buildup" out west requires more "mechanical thinning," (i.e. logging for private profit on public lands). In reality, however, mechanical thinning is simply too expensive to do the job, while proscribed fires require a LARGER Forest Service budget to be effectively managed. It's hard to read Nelson's book without seeing it as being little more than a clever stalking horse: an industry-funded case statement for more rape and ruin of the forest. A visit to the Competitive Enterprise Institute's web site (one of Nelson's employers) makes it clear they have never seen an environmental or public health law they liked. Nelson's book is less a case statement for forest protection than it is for continued massive subsidies for industry exploitation of public land. When Nelson says "mechancial thinning" will not pay for itself, he is really calling for massive public subsidies of the timber industry. When Nelson advocates "recovering" lost revenue from "thinning" the forest, he is really advocating chopping down healthy forests for commercial purposes. Bottom line: this book blows a lot more smoke than any of the fires out west. We need more science and less "forest liar" propaganda.
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