Ecology Against Capitalism

by John Bellamy Foster

In recent years John Bellamy Foster has emerged as a leading theorist of the Marxist perspective on ecology. His seminal book Marx's Ecology (Monthly Review Press, 2000) discusses the place of ecological issues within the intellectual history of Marxism and on the philosophical foundations of a Marxist ecology, and has become a major point of reference in ecological debates. This historical and philosophical focus is now supplemented by more directly political engagement in his new book, Ecology against Capitalism. In a broad-ranging treatment of contemporary ecological politics, Foster deals with such issues as pollution, sustainable development, technological responses to environmental crisis, population growth, soil fertility, the preservation of ancient forests, and the "new economy" of the Internet age.
Foster's introduction sets out the unifying themes of these essays enabling the reader to draw from them a consolidated approach to a rapidly-expanding field of debate which is of critical importance in our times.
Within these debates on the politics of ecology, Foster's work develops an important and distinctive perspective. Where many of these debates assume a basic divergence of "red" and "green" issues, and are concerned with the exact terms of a trade-off between them, Foster argues that Marxismproperly understoodalready provides the framework within which ecological questions are best approached. This perspective is advanced here in accessible and concrete form, taking account of the major positions in contemporary ecological debate.

Genres: Environment, Ecology, Economics, Politics, Theory, Nonfiction, Science

160 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2002

About the author

John Bellamy Foster is a professor of sociology at the University of Oregon, editor of Monthly Review and author of several books on the subject of political economy of capitalism, economic crisis, ecology and ecological crisis, and Marxist theory.

Reviews

[sdw · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this series of short readable essays, John Bellamy Fosters argues the incompatibility of capitalism and ecology. Throughout the book he refutes the arguments of natural capitalists and others who propose solutions to environmental crisis that do not fundamentally alter the economic system. He explains that such solutions envision “internalizing” the environment to the market (thus preventing the negative externalities of environmental destruction). He contends this strategy further rationalizes nature as a commodity even when (as in Natural Capital) ecological systems are recognized as a unique form of capital rather than a raw material acted upon for wealth. He contends that it is not science that is responsible for the mechanistic worldview contributing to ecological devastation but the capitalist economic mindset. Chapter 5, “Let Them Eat Pollution” examines a leaked memo from Lawrence Summers in 1991 in his role as chief economist of the World Bank to the Economist which proposed that pollution producing industries migrate to poorer countries as poor people’s lives were worth less as they earned lower wages (among other equally shocking arguments Summers uses).

The essay “Globalization and the Ecological Morality of Place” makes the case that capitalism leads to a loss of sense of place contributing to imperialist relationships to both land and labor. It would be effective to pair with Heise’s Sense of Place, Sense of Planet . Another chapter combats the ideal of technology as an answer to environmental crisis within capitalism. He argues that technological prowess that increases efficiency will increase rather than reduce demand.

His essay on the spotted owl is dated (written in the midst of the salvage rider) and yet important for its interrogation of the relationship between class and environment.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

Right. Ecology against Capitalism. Nature against Humans. Pain and Suffering as penance to Foster's god. A deeply immoral book with enough fallacies to make people want their own destruction.

[Mahender Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writer tries to present that Marxism is ecology and nature friendly but fails to convince a serious reader because basically Marxism like capitalism also shows an El Do Rado of abundance to the mankind which cannot be achieved without harming the nature.

[George Hart]

Foster is now editor of The Monthly Review. Updates Marxist philosophical work to environmental perspectives. Good essay on Thomas Malthus.

[Beneth]

On Jim's recommend-very-short-very-good shelf. My kinda book. .

[Tannya · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far this book has been very informative, and very well written. I am just over half way through