Environment and Society: A Reader. Edited by Christopher Schlottmann, Dale Jamieson, Colin Jerolmack, and Anne Rademacher with Maria Damon

Abstract

The editors of Environment and Society: A Reader, all environmental studies professors at New York University, conceived of this work when they were considering their undergraduate environmental studies course entitled “Environment and Society.” This compilation is intended to serve as a textbook for environmental studies courses and will expose students to the major figures and movements in environmentalism and environmental history. The editors have divided this text into six parts, each part delving into a different debate within the field. These six parts are “The Ideas of Nature,” “Environmentalism and Environmental Movements,” “Population and Consumption,” “Public Goods and Collective Action,” “Values and Justice,” and “Environmental Controversies.” This compendium exposes readers to many of the important theorists of environmentalism and environmental justice, while also highlighting the ongoing debates within this field. To demonstrate the makeup of this book, this review focuses specifically on the structure of Part I, “Ideas of Nature.” Each section begins with an introduction from the editors that describes the main themes and clears any uncertainty over terminology, such as the difference between nature and the environment. The editors then provide a series of abridged writings. Part I begins with Bill McKibben’s The End of Nature, which argues that climate change marks the end of nature because environmental forces have been civilized. Will Steffen, Paul Crutzen, and John R. McNeill complement this piece with a description of the dawning of a new age, that of the Anthropocene. Next, the Anthropocene is complicated with work by Alan Weisman, who contends that humans’ time on earth is fleeting, and with Gary Snyder’s view that humans are wild. Both Pope Francis’s Laudate Si and Aldo Leopold’s “The Land Ethic” call for greater stewardship of the earth’s resources in this new anthropocentric era. Additionally, Carolyn Merchant’s theory of ecofeminism explicates the ways that gender dynamics have impacted humans’ relationship with the Earth. Every essay contributes to the debates between theorists and philosophers about nature. At the end of each part, there are questions, such as “What is meant by ‘the Anthropocene’?” designed to spur discussion among students, along with a list of further readings (p. 69). Overall, each part guides students through important documents and questions of environmental studies without overwhelming them.