An Early Enviromentalist Book
I am not sure where I picked this book up but considering the age it definitely was second hand when I purchased it. However the background of how I came into possession of this book is irrelevant, except that I would no doubt have picked it up during my semi-tree-hugging-hippie phase. However, this book isn't an negative attack on the developed world (though it does raise numerous concerns as to what uncontrolled development is doing to the earth) but rather how a number of places are acting to turn the tide of destructive development.
This book was written in 1989 so it goes to show that people where concerned about uncontrolled development back then, and even before that. However since this book pre-dates the debate on man-made climate change, it looks at what I consider to be a more important aspect of development, and that is how development is slowly destroying our world.
One example is urbanisation (and I will talk about my home town of Adelaide here). Adelaide is built on a swamp, so prior to colonisation when it rained the water would come down from the hills, sink into the dirt, and disappear into the swamp. However, since development, the swamp has been drained and the Torrens River has been directed out to the sea along a canal. Thus what was originally washed down from the hills into the swamp is now sent straight out to sea. Further, as the city has been built up the patches of dirt have grown ever smaller so when rain falls instead of sinking into the dirt, it collects on the concrete and if there isn't adequate drainage then we get a flood (we saw this in Melbourne earlier this year).
Another interesting thing we see in this book is a chapter where President Mugabe is being praised. Such a book would simply not hit the bookshelves these days (so goes freedom of speech). What this book demonstrates is how power corrupts, and the same thing is happening in Venezuala. While Chavez was originally the champion of the poor (as Mugabe was) the longer he is in power, the more corrupted he becomes with his power. This has happened with Mugabe as he fights and kills his own population to keep himself in power. Every election in Zimbabwe has been preceded by violence and has resulted in violence. I guess the only person who can truly hold the title of champion of the poor is the Lord Jesus Christ.
