This Crazy Time: Living Our Environmental Challenge

by Tzeporah Berman, Mark Leiren-Young

From one of the world's most controversial campaigners, This Crazy Time is the No Logo of the NEW environmental movement, an essential must-read that combines Bill Bryson's personable style and humour with Naomi Klein's hard-hitting activism and research.

Passionate, profound, inspiring and funny, Berman is inspiring people from all walks of life to get off the sidelines and fight the good fight--and win. This unique book--part manifesto from a leader, part humorous activist memoir from a soccer mom--offers a wryly honest, behind the scenes, ultimately uplifting look at the state of the planet. For almost 20 years, Tzeporah Berman has been one of our most influential environmentalists. A founder of ForestEthics and PowerUp Canada, she was instrumental in shaping the tactics and concerns of the modern environmental movement.

In her early 20s she faced nearly one thousand criminal charges and 6 years in prison for her role organizing blockades in Canada's rainforest. With ForestEthics she took on Victoria's Secret with a photo of a chainsaw-wielding lingerie model, convincing the catalogue manufacturer to stop using paper made from old-growth forests. She then transformed her tactics and sat down with CEOs and political leaders to reshape their policies and practices. She participated in saving over 12 million acres of endangered forests, including Canada's Great Bear Rainforest, and has campaigned against the development of Canada's oil sands. In her new role at Greenpeace International she is fighting the problem of our climate change, including researching the impacts of the Gulf Oil Spill and protesting oil drilling in the Arctic. As a concerned mother, her book is an impassioned plea for a better world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

384 pages, Hardcover

First published September 6, 2011

Reviews

[Andrea McDowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not only a memoir from a long-time enviornmental activist with a long history of successes, although it is worthwhile just for the reflections on these and the lessons they've taught her, it is also a lucid and highly readable (perhaps thanks to the co-author) account of grappling with the complexities of environmental progress: how do you weigh environmental protection against job creation? What if the jobs are for impoverished first nations communities? What is the right balance between boardroom negotiations and street protest? Is China transitioning more successfully to a post-fossil fuel economy because it is NOT a democracy--and if so, what does that say about democracies? And if you are offered a high-profile job of fourteen-hour days to move climate change politices forward around the world but it means moving your family and two young sons to another continent, do you feel more guilty for saying yes (and not experiencing as much of their childhood) or no (and not working as hard to preserve their future)?

I found it gripping; I've sticky-tagged, highlighted and noted by copy half to death. Highly recommended for anyone, but especially my environmentally-aware mom friends who wonder how to make more of a difference. What makes Tzeporah's story remarkable is how approachable she comes across, how much like any frazzled mother you might run across in a grocery store--except that, you know, she's director of climate change for Greenpeace and got her start helping to save Clayoquot Sound.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5

[Tanya Kyi · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the exception of a couple despair-inducing climate change chapters in the middle, the book is a fairly hopeful look at the potential for environmental change. Tzeporah’s stories of her Clayoquot days and Greenpeace exploits are highly entertaining. You may have to donate to Greenpeace and/or chain yourself to a log boom after reading it, but those aren’t necessarily bad things, right? I’ll tell you what… let me know when you’re going, and I’ll meet you in the harbour.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the personal stories and especially the discussion of the role of the modern environmentalist. Also some useful tactical suggestions for environmental activists.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

It opened my mind to the inner workings of Greenpeace and what some people have sacrificed to help do humanity, and the inhabitants we share the earth with, good.

[Bejohnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

this should be required reading for all adults. maybe we would be more environmentally conscious and be more frugal and less wasteful of what nature provides for us