Ecotactics: The Sierra Club Handbook for Environmental Activists

by John G. Mitchell, Ralph Nader (Introduction)

Book by John G. Mitchell

Genres: Activism, Environment

288 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1970

Reviews

[Earl Foust · Rating 4 out of 5]

Few non-fiction books manage to communicate a sense of urgency as effectively as this book does. When I started reading it, I already had an idea of the tone of the book (the title makes this readily apparent) but what I did not expect was in what way the book would transfer its tone and relevance to myself.

It changed how I understand my relation to the environment and in what ways I can work to transfer such a relevance to other people around me. I never understood why petty dictators and autocratic control freaks tried to control the spread of information by burning books but now it makes perfect sense. The ideas and tactics outlined in this book certainly would shake the reader's foundational understanding of the established authority and how precisely, and effectively, to challenge this authority.

This book changed how I view environmental activism. Some of the references are a bit out of date and I wish that The Sierra Club would come out with an updated version (particularly in the ways the Internet can be utilized for Environmental Activism) but, regardless, most of the information within this book is still applicable today. I think this should be required reading for anyone who dares to call themselves an Environmental Activist.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

MORE THAN TWO DOZEN BRIEF ARTICLES WRITTEN "IN DEFENSE OF THE EARTH"

The prefatory Editor's Note to this 1970 book defines "ecotactics" as "the science of arranging and maneuvering all available forces in action against enemies of the earth." It adds, "the ecotactician first indoctrinates the troops. But the polemics herein are brief and early... what we really need now is to know how we shall save this earth, not to mention saving ourselves... you will find, I think, at least as much about WHAT people are doing, and HOW they are doing it, as about why they decided to do it in the first place."

One essayist notes, "The American pioneer... was a dreadful housekeeper. First he clear-cut the forest. Next he planted his crops. Then he failed to understand why the land went stale with erosion. So he moved on... and cut again... Yet Americans still cling to the pioneer ethic..." (Pg. 24)

Another suggests, "A young conservationist today has important advantages over his predecessors from previous generations. He is working in a different climate of opinion. But more to the point, he is working from a solid scientific base. The science of ecology has quite suddenly emerged from the obscurity of academic studies to become a household word." (Pg. 36-37) Another essayist argues, "The time for decision and action is now. The responsibility cannot be left for future generations---we may be the last generation able to choose an effective course of action." (Pg. 155)

Another admits, "Ecology is not an exact science. The man who developed DDT thought he was helping the environment, I'm sure. So many of the environmental answers may prove under experience to be wrong." (Pg. 197)

Although more than fifty years old, and written before the days of "ecotage" and more dramatic confrontations between loggers and environmentalists, this passionately-argued book is still not without value for the modern scene.