This book, the prequel to Ecotopia by the same author, lays out the structure for a plausible scenario of designing a sustainable future. The scenario explores the scientific, commerical, social and political capital that would be required to establish a sovereign state committed to a biologically organized sustainable society.
Written as a novel the principals of shifting from fuel based to natural energy sources forms the core of the story of tranistioning a society away from the unsound ecological practices of modern industrialized society and towards an integrated ecological model. Rather than ignoring the realities of commerce and politics Callenbach takes both head on and offers his view of how a shift might occur in a fundamental way that would allow for the emergence of a new form of business and govenment to co-exist. The new form would make biology the highest criterion for decision-making in the newly emerging/emerged society.
To keep in all interesting (IMO) Callenbach also weaves a bit of action and suspense in the story as a political thriller. He creates a highly fictionalized account of how the folks leading the wave for seceding the states of Washington, Oregon and the Northern Californian as well as part of British Columbia into a country of its own go about wresting and maintaining independence.
I think this book is both highly entertaining and highly intellectually provocative … as well as being quite a bit prescient for it’s day (it was written in 1981 … well before any talk of global warming or any presidential candidates’ claim for leading the charge to making an ecological impact). One of the things I think that makes this book so entertaining and informative is that it goes beyond a simple disaster to uptopia scenario and takes into account some real and pressing issues we are now confronting. The issues that Callenbach addresses include serious questions about our social systems and habits that need to be addressed if anything like the scenario he proposes woud ever to become possible.
While this book is most surely fiction, the ideas that the author presents have stood the test of time in terms of the emerging science surrounding the need for considering the ecological plight threatening our planet and our species. I strongly urge anyone over the age of twelve to make this book and Ecotopia on their essential reading list.
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This book, the prequel to Ecotopia by the same author, lays out the structure for a plausible scenario of designing a sustainable future. The scenario explores the scientific, commerical, social and political capital that would be required to establish a sovereign state committed to a biologically organized sustainable society.
Written as a novel the principals of shifting from fuel based to natural energy sources forms the core of the story of tranistioning a society away from the unsound ecological practices of modern industrialized society and towards an integrated ecological model. Rather than ignoring the realities of commerce and politics Callenbach takes both head on and offers his view of how a shift might occur in a fundamental way that would allow for the emergence of a new form of business and govenment to co-exist. The new form would make biology the highest criterion for decision-making in the newly emerging/emerged society.
To keep in all interesting (IMO) Callenbach also weaves a bit of action and suspense in the story as a political thriller. He creates a highly fictionalized account of how the folks leading the wave for seceding the states of Washington, Oregon and the Northern Californian as well as part of British Columbia into a country of its own go about wresting and maintaining independence.
I think this book is both highly entertaining and highly intellectually provocative … as well as being quite a bit prescient for it’s day (it was written in 1981 … well before any talk of global warming or any presidential candidates’ claim for leading the charge to making an ecological impact). One of the things I think that makes this book so entertaining and informative is that it goes beyond a simple disaster to uptopia scenario and takes into account some real and pressing issues we are now confronting. The issues that Callenbach addresses include serious questions about our social systems and habits that need to be addressed if anything like the scenario he proposes woud ever to become possible.
While this book is most surely fiction, the ideas that the author presents have stood the test of time in terms of the emerging science surrounding the need for considering the ecological plight threatening our planet and our species. I strongly urge anyone over the age of twelve to make this book and Ecotopia on their essential reading list.