Rebecca Stefoff

This book is packed full of vital information on how we got to where we are in the climate crisis and a call to action of what is needed to achieve climate justice. Complex concepts are clearly explained using recent case studies, mostly in the states but other places as well. Young climate justice activists from around the world are highlighted. This would make an excellent primer for an Environmental Studies 101 class.

Why not five stars then? Well I don’t think the format works for the intended “young readers” audience. The amount of information and the length of the chapters may deter all but the most ardent budding activists or researchers. I think this content would work very well as a reference book. Having an index would mean that students could look up individual case studies like Northern Gateway, Standing Rock and Katrina, or concepts like carbon capture, the Green New Deal, or neo liberalism and get an excellent overview on the topic. New terminology is well explained in the text, but a glossary would be a good addition. The black and white photos and diagrams don’t really work on the unbleached paper stock in the soft-cover version. Colour has more impact on the reader, but also the environment so I guess that was the decision to go black and white? I also think that having maps of the areas discussed is essential to help students orient themselves to the location. I would love to see a Canadian edition with more focus on our government’s action/inaction on climate justice and additional made-in-Canada case studies.… (mer)