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Summary: Good News For a Change by David Suzuki and Holly Dressel
Review: 06/03/2003The world is a small place and a fragile one, too; it is troubled by an exploding population, immoral economic interests and an imbalance of political powers. Besides societies polarized by territorial and religious differences, commerce dissects the world-population into two uneven parties: a minority with overwhelming access to finite resources and a majority struggling to fight starvation, disease and the loss of political and economical autonomy. ‚Good News for a Change' by David Suzuki and Holly Dressel is a motivating roadmap to a politically and economically fairer, sustainable and enjoyable future. Using the very contemporary threat of terrorism as an example of where we have arrived at the end of the industrial revolution, the authors argue that this political instability is the result of unsustainable business activities. To avoid dooming our children to disease and misery, we have to restore and sustainably maintain social equity and stay within the physical limitations of our planet. The chapter 'Making Money Like the Bee: Doing Business Without Doing Harm' starts with an example of a small business enterprise that acts socially and ecologically responsibly by taking the physical, mental and financial health of its employees and the local community into account. The authors argue that environmentally sound business practice is predominantly concerned with the wellbeing of the human race. Yet to improve the quality of life of each and every individual, we have to heal the eco system in order to heal ourselves. The authors continue to cite examples of corporate versus local interests. The anonymity of individuals behind large corporations tends to allow action without concern for the environment. In the chapter 'Withdrawing Consent', the authors plead for more democratic decision-making because the people most affected by a collapsing eco system are the people who live within it. Consequently, hope for change towards a more sustainable use of resources lies in the involvement of the local community. The quote "Water will be to the 21st century what oil was to the 20th" by Shawn Tully (1) leads to the discussion of water pollution in marine ecosystems. The authors describe the decline of marine life and the resulting domino effect on the global ecosystem. With accounts of up to 90% (2) they single out agriculture as the primary waster of world water resources. Today, agriculture produces 2kg of grain per head worldwide; the authors imply that unfair distribution is the reason for a starving 3rd world population since food resources are plenty. They plead for a return to the basics, to consider agricultural systems of the past, ruled by tradition and religion. The authors explain how the dependency and consequent desperation for fertilizers, herbi- and fungicide, promoted by the World Trade Organisation, disables local farming - especially within poor economies. 'Good News For a Change' is a collection of working solutions, uncovered by thorough research. The book continues to describe ways to counteract global warming, oil dependence and population explosion. The authors conclude that the key to a sustainable future may be better education, which would free us from the thinking pattern that brought us the problems in the first place. Bart and Homer Simpson sing, "If no-one sees it, no-one gets mad - It's the American way!" (The Simpsons) and express the thinking behind corporate tactics to deceive the public. Suzuki attacks conservative and corporate influences in government, condemning American consumer behaviour to be the opposite of environmental consciousness. A recent review on amazon.com accuses David Suzuki to be anti-American and anti-human (3). Education is evidently a key element in the ability to comprehend the consequences of our thinking and acting, democracy is the means to a fair distribution of finite material goods, and common sense is a tool to responsibly manage these resources. Bad news are prone to shock and paralyse, this book encourages the opposite. It is apparent to almost everyone that nature struggles with the impact of the modern consumer. 'Good News for a Change' has overcome the tedious negatives and looks towards a future of living in concord with the environment. References: 1. Tully, Shawn (2000). "water, water everywhere", fortune magazine, may 15, 2000, p.55.
2. Postel, Sandra (2000). "Where Have All the Rivers Gone", The Sciences (Reviewed Book: p.158)
3. Scagel, Rob (2002). "No good news here", Online accessed 14/02/03 www.amazon.com
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Summary: Good News for a Change- An Attitude of Hope
Review: David Suzuki and Holly Dressel's inspirational book, Good News for a Change- How Everyday People are Helping the Planet, is a compilation of stories that both inspire and inform the public of all the positive contributions both individuals and groups alike are capable of offering to their world. With concrete examples of specific instances of charitable environmental and social assistance, Suzuki and Dressel's book leaves the reader with a positive and hopeful outlook on the future, not the usually doom and gloom characteristic of zero hope for the future that oftentimes colors most environmental texts.
I liked this book a lot, because it wasn't a romanticized version of the truth. Suzuki and Dressel are honest in their reasoning and allow the reader to make his or her own decisions by providing both sides of every argument. This ability adds a greater element of credibility to the text because the reader is offered pros and cons. A good example of this is the following passage, "This and other mom-and-apple-pie speeches have yet to be bolstered with real action, largely because of the way corporations are set up, and because of the internal, mainstream-economics mindset of organizations like the World Bank and the WTO...But the fact that they do address the issues of environmental and social responsibility is proof that our global society is beginning to come to a clearer agreement on shared values- and that the new shared values are sufficiently powerful that even those profiting the most from the status quo feel obligated to acknowledge them publicly" (292). Prompting the reader to recognize the unfortunate truth that oftentimes good ideas are just that, ideas that are never carried through into actions, Suzuki and Dressel contrast this truth with their stories of inspiration and hope. This duality of the text makes it a very interesting and unique read. I especially enjoyed reading this book for the last book club, and towards the end of the course, because it truly showed that solutions are everywhere, and change is possible. By displaying a diverse range of examples from the smallest community issues to the concerns of multi-million dollar corporations, Good News for a Change- How Everyday People are Helping the Planet, was able to show that inspiration can be found anyplace. Suzuki and Dressel offer not only stories of hope and change in their book, but also provide real solutions, making this text both versatile and enjoyable.
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Summary: A breath of fresh air and enthusiastically recommended
Review: Good News For A Change: Hope For A Troubled Planet by David Suzuki (Sustainable Development Research Institute, University of British Columbia) with the assistance of professional writer Holly Dressel is a compelling and informative environmental treatise that uniquely focuses on the positive improvements of humanity's interaction with global ecosystems, ranging from small farms and ranches to multinational agribusiness corporations. As modern technology improves, more ways are being discovered to save soil, right social wrongs, and preserve more of the planet. Encouraging the reader to never give up hope for the fight to protect our planet, Good News For A Change is a breath of fresh air and enthusiastically recommended reading for ecological activists, students of environmental studies, and governmental policy makers.
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Summary: No good news here
Review: I do not understand why Good News for a Change is considered Non-fiction. It is an amazing resource of je accuse rhetoric, stream-of-consciousness anecdotes, and endless encyclopedia of pejorative adjectives and adverbs. There is no good news in this book, it is filled with hate and loathing, it is anti-American and anti-humanity. On and on it goes breathlessly denigrating every industrial and social accomplishment since the Enlightment. Taking the view that environmentalism is a religious movement, Good news for a change, can be regarded as canonical testament.
Don't expect a lot of support for any statement in this book. You either believe or you don't. The number of pages devoted to explanatory notes is shorter than the detailed listing of environmental organizations!
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Summary: Making Money Like the Bee
Review: In their first book together, "From Naked Ape to Super-Species," Suzuki and Dressel undermined all our traditional notions of progress. With hard facts, they critiqued humankind as a wreckless, out-of-control species carelessly teetering on self-(and btw, homo sapiens is the only species that kills itself) and eco-destruction. What they left out of the book, however, was a roadmap for the future. Well, here it is. "Good News" is the other half of the story - a story of how creative, ecologically-minded business is sprouting up all over the world. In this global tour de force, Suzuki and Dressel offer multiple signs of hope for the future, and uncover evidence of a veritble grass-roots ecological revolution. With this book, you will see how businesses (both big and small) can "make money like the bee." An example: Meet Judy Wicks, "a woman of about 50 with a mane of snow-white hair," owner and proprietor of White Dog Cafe and business revolutionary extraordinaire. White dog is a full-service restaurant in the university disctrict of Philadelphia that serves cruelty-free meats, organically raised produce, non-GE soy and corn oils, as well as Table Talks on the War on Drugs, the court decision to electe Bush, the GE debate, and much much more. White Dog Cafe is a $5 million grossing business cooperative (so you can bet the food is delicious), where the head cook makes the same salary as Wicks: about $65,000 a year, "a fine and comfortable living for a single parent with two college-age children." Instead of investing her extram money in expansion, Wicks choses to invest in her employees, her community, and the natural environment. White Dog runs mentoring programs, inner-city tours, holds community dances, buys local produce, offers jobs to struggling youth, provides scholarships for workers, and is active with many other local organizations, like the Chef's Collaborative 2000. In accord with her mission statement, Wicks runs her business for the benefit of her customers, the community, her employees, and the natural world. As she says, "small businesses are one of the plant's most wonderful means of *serving* and doing good." White Dog Cafe is but one of many of positive examples of people are beginning to live together harmoniously with themselves and the environment. This book will introduce to revolutionary loggers, farmers, and other local peoples from all over the planet who show "again and again that the people in the best position to know what will really work over the long term in a given area are locals committed to that area" - that is, the same people who have a long-term interest in making sure that the area remains healthy. This book is a must read for anybody, from parents to revolutionaries. Whether you are deep ecologist or quid chewing lumberjack, you will find a niche in this book. There is something for everyone. Personally, I found it to be an indispensible resource, filled with inspiring new ideas that I hope to incorporate into my life. Once again, Suzuki and Dressel have outdone themselves.
Rating:
Summary: Making Money Like the Bee
Review: In their first book together, "From Naked Ape to Super-Species," Suzuki and Dressel undermined all our traditional notions of progress. With hard facts, they critiqued humankind as a wreckless, out-of-control species carelessly teetering on self-(and btw, homo sapiens is the only species that kills itself) and eco-destruction. What they left out of the book, however, was a roadmap for the future. Well, here it is. "Good News" is the other half of the story - a story of how creative, ecologically-minded business is sprouting up all over the world. In this global tour de force, Suzuki and Dressel offer multiple signs of hope for the future, and uncover evidence of a veritble grass-roots ecological revolution. With this book, you will see how businesses (both big and small) can "make money like the bee." An example: Meet Judy Wicks, "a woman of about 50 with a mane of snow-white hair," owner and proprietor of White Dog Cafe and business revolutionary extraordinaire. White dog is a full-service restaurant in the university disctrict of Philadelphia that serves cruelty-free meats, organically raised produce, non-GE soy and corn oils, as well as Table Talks on the War on Drugs, the court decision to electe Bush, the GE debate, and much much more. White Dog Cafe is a $5 million grossing business cooperative (so you can bet the food is delicious), where the head cook makes the same salary as Wicks: about $65,000 a year, "a fine and comfortable living for a single parent with two college-age children." Instead of investing her extram money in expansion, Wicks choses to invest in her employees, her community, and the natural environment. White Dog runs mentoring programs, inner-city tours, holds community dances, buys local produce, offers jobs to struggling youth, provides scholarships for workers, and is active with many other local organizations, like the Chef's Collaborative 2000. In accord with her mission statement, Wicks runs her business for the benefit of her customers, the community, her employees, and the natural world. As she says, "small businesses are one of the plant's most wonderful means of *serving* and doing good." White Dog Cafe is but one of many of positive examples of people are beginning to live together harmoniously with themselves and the environment. This book will introduce to revolutionary loggers, farmers, and other local peoples from all over the planet who show "again and again that the people in the best position to know what will really work over the long term in a given area are locals committed to that area" - that is, the same people who have a long-term interest in making sure that the area remains healthy. This book is a must read for anybody, from parents to revolutionaries. Whether you are deep ecologist or quid chewing lumberjack, you will find a niche in this book. There is something for everyone. Personally, I found it to be an indispensible resource, filled with inspiring new ideas that I hope to incorporate into my life. Once again, Suzuki and Dressel have outdone themselves.
Rating:
Summary: Sustainability is Achievable!
Review: The beauty of the writing that Suzuki and Dressel do together is the fact that rather than preach about the irreversable damage that we as humans have inflicated on the planet, they offer viable solutions for everyday life and work with examples.
This work is so incredibly thorough - it deals not only with water, air and land pollution, but it also explains the concept of sustainability and how to achieve it.
It goes to show that where there is a will, there is way. It isn't too late to change this planet and the direction of our environment (and, just as importantly, it doesn't have to be at the cost of business and the economy.)
Refreshing. Eye-opening. I would definetly recommend it.
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