Green Gone Wrong: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Eco-Capitalism

by Heather Rogers

Trenchant exposé of the myths of “green capitalism”.

Faced with climate change, many counsel “going green,” encouraging us to buy organic food or a “clean” car, for example. But can we rely on consumerism to provide a solution to the very problems it has helped cause? Heather Rogers travels from Paraguay to Indonesia, via the Hudson Valley, Detroit, and Germany’s Black Forest, to investigate green capitalism, and argues for solutions that are not mere palliatives or distractions, but ways of engaging with how we live and the kind of world we want to live in. A new afterword considers various ways in which national development might be freed from its dependence on economic growth, allowing for a decent standard of living without exhausting the planet’s resources.

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

289 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 20, 2010

About the author

Heather Rogers is a journalist and author. She has written for the New York Times Magazine, Mother Jones, and The Nation. Her first book, Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage, traces the history and politics of household rubbish in the United States. The book received the Editor’s Choice distinction from the New York Times Book Review, and Non-Fiction Choice from the Guardian (UK). Her documentary film, also titled Gone Tomorrow, screened in festivals around the globe. Green Gone Wrong: How Our Economy Is Undermining the Environmental Revolution, her latest book, takes a critical, on-the-ground look at popular market-based solutions to ecological destruction. Rogers has spoken internationally on the environmental effects of mass consumption and is a senior fellow at the progressive US think tank Demos. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well. Saw this author on "Stossel" and was interested enough, even knowing that we'd have some differences, to pick the book up at the library. I appreciate the author for the work that she has done to trace whether the "green" movement is really doing much good. (Answer: A lot of it isn't.) For example, she shows how organic, Fair Trade businesses really aren't following rules that would improve the environment. The push for biofuels is causing massive deforestation in Indonesia. The Prius isn't exactly an environmental panacea. And carbon offsets are a joke. So I am appreciative of her research. As expected, I have a number of differences with Rogers. First of all, I wish she'd take an economics class or two and learn to distinguish between "free markets" and government intervention. She frequently described a mess, partially caused by government, labels it a "market failure" and issues a call for . . . surprise, more government. She does a really good job reporting on "beyond organic" small family farms in New York, shows that their livelihood is in jeopardy, discusses the effect of USDA and other regulations and how much it costs them, then labels the difficulty a market failure and calls for more government regulation and support--when USDA rules and stupid farm subsidy rules got them into the mess in the first place. She also goes to great lengths to show how big businesses in bed with governments here and abroad in Paraguay are making "certified organic" certifications virtually meaningless. Later in the book she lauds cooperative, free associations instead of government certifications. But she still thinks the "certified organic" government certification is a market failure and more government is needed instead. ??? To my disappointment, she also does not really examine the total idiocy of the ethanol requirements in this country--she does touch briefly on the effect of driving up food prices, but does not come to, say, Iowa where I live and investigate the effects of increasing monoculture, more water use, more fertilizer and pesticide runoff in the corn belt, OR the issue that biofuels are LESS efficient than gas and so even if it's "green" you need MORE of it, and in the end, probably MORE carbon is being released than if we just used gas. Sigh. Still, the book is valuable for the research into why the good we THINK we are doing isn't really saving the planet, and isn't going to. Too bad our policy makers will likely pay no attention.

[Sus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick easy read that would be a good introduction to the idea and critiques of green capitalism. My favorite part was the middle section that discussed various sustainable living arrangements in Germany which were a nice example of alternatives to American car-based urban arrangements.

[Camille McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heather Rogers does a great job of examining different "Green" economies and pointing out how our capitalist, for-profit system undermines the ecological benefits we should be reaping from these projects and technologies. It points out that a lot of these "carbon neutralizing" projects you can pay into don't actually get off the ground or do much of what they say, that palm oil and corn for ethanol are cutting down forests in Indonesia in the name of "Green" energy, that growing organic in South America sometimes means cutting down the Amazon, while farmers who go above and beyond the organic standards often can't make ends meet or don't get certified as "organic" because the overhead is so high for that process.
I appreciated her to-the-point analysis and that she kept the book pretty short, so that the reader didn't lose sight of her ultimate conclusions. She is one of the few writers that focus on environmental issues from the point of view of economics and how that plays a factor, and I greatly admire her for that.

[Akmal A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Topik green sememangnya topik yang menghantui aku. Entah kenapa aku rasa green adalah label atau trend bukannya budaya. Contohnya ketika sebuah bangunan baru dibina segala piawaian green telah diikuti contohnya penggunaan bahan hinaan yang rendah jejak karbon, sistem perairan yang menggalakkan penggunaan semula air dan yang paling kelakar ada sedikit rumput atau tumbuhan menjalar menghiasi façade bangunan. Tetapi yang menghairankan ketika membina bangunan itu segalanya serba tidak kena. Pencemaran berlaku, pergelutan perebutan tanah, pokok ditebang, bangunan yang direka menggalakkan pengguna bangunan tersebut membawa kenderaan masing-masing dan segala kontradiksi yang lain. Maka pada tahun akhir latihan ilmiah aku bertajuk kesedaraan tentang green dalam bidang pembinaan. Tapi malangnya aku tidak membuat penilitian yang bagus, hanya sekadar utk siap sahaja, maka keputusan yang diperoleh tidak layak dijadikan rujukan. Ketika hujung 2017 kempen untuk tidak guna straw ketika minum berada di peringkat kemuncak. Ramai yang berubah dari guna straw plastik yang mencemarkan alam sekitar, lebih baik guna straw buluh atau besi. Di kedai-kedai banyak terjual straw jenis ini sambil dikepelkan sedikit kertas kecil 'be green' dan pelbagai kalimat lain yang dalam kata lain, kalau awak beli awak telah berkontribusi kepada alam sekitar. Aku ragu-ragu dengan idea ni, kerana pasti ini tujuan pemasaran. Sampah akan tetap berlaku dan dibuang. Pengalaman berada di Kelantan bertemu dengan suku Batek dalam mendepani masalah tanah sawit dan tanah warisan juga banyak menimbulkan keraguan kepada aku, apakah sebenarnya green yg diteriakkan itu? Buku inilah memberitahu bagaimana sebenarnya bisnes green ini berlaku.

Penulis membahagikan buku ini kepada 3 bab asas yg berkait rapat dengan kita; makanan, rumah dan pengangkutan. Di setiap bab ditulis dengan komprehensif masalah yang berlaku pada peringkat praktis. Misalnya dalam bab makanan, permintaan bahan basah organik semakin bertambah. Secara ringkas pasar ini menguntungkan petani kecil, malangnya tidak. Yang mengawal pasar ini tetap sahaja gergasi yang sedia ada yang menawarkan sayur organik tetapi tidak menggunakan teknik yang mesra alam walaupun tiada bahan kimia spt baja yang diguna, tetapi masih beriman dengan cara penanaman monokultur. Bab-bab berikutnya juga begitu menceritakan masalah yang berlaku pada pelbagai peringkat tapi lebih memfokuskan pada bahagian pentadbiran.

Membaca buku ini boleh tahan juga, aku seperti merasakan sudah tiada harapan dah sebenarnya untuk selamatkan bumi. Tetapi penulis di penghujung bab telah memberikan beberapa cadangan yang sangat idealis. Idea yang memang memerlukan semangat kolektif yang kuat dan kalau menjadi idea yang dominan usaha untuk menyelamatkan alam sekitar dapat berlaku. Namun aku memandangnnya dengan sangat pessimis. Aki merasakan dengan kadar pencairan ais yang laju, semakin hari semakin panas, banyak haiwan semakin pupus, serta bencana alam berlaku disana sini sudah cukup membuatkan aku berfikir sudah tidak ada harapan lagi untuk memulihkan bumi kita yang tenat sekarang. Juga aku bukan penyokong untuk manusia pindah ke marikh. Entahlaaaa ingin kemana.

[Montana Goodman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like I took a journey through Heather Rogers’ writing career with this book! It was researched and written over several years and while it was originally published in 2010, much of what it presents is still relevant today. The first three parts of the book are dense and gave me the impression of a research paper you’d write in undergrad. At times tedious, with moments of personal touch, it is a great reference for organic food, biofuels, and green architecture. I initially wished that the Assessment portion had been sprinkled throughout the beginning parts, but then preferred it separate - Assessment and Notes on the Possible are much more personable and engaging. It’s just plain better quality writing.

If you can get a copy that was published after 2012, do it! The Afterword was my absolute favorite part. It had a distinctly different flavor from the rest of the book. It is easier to follow, it’s more down to earth, and it surprised me with the poignancy of the questions it posed.

Instead of trying to offer a vague solution as many books that point out the negative do, Rogers offers several takes on possible solutions, but points out the flaws in each, making the very wise statement that we are and will always be human and thus cannot produce a fully functional, perfect, fully fleshed out solution to the problem of our future — that is, the problem of capitalism. I think any good socialist will agree that this is the real cure. We as workers have to win power in order to make decisions first, and we will figure out the minute details once we get there.

[Dawn Ellis]

Part of my thesis research. I do find that so often green solutions involve buying something new and not re-using, recycling or reducing.

[Martina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book starts with several examples, from biofuels to buying offset carbon emissions to swiftly and decisively kick "natural capitalism" down once and for all.

[Colin Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the opening pages of Green Gone Wrong, Heather Rogers interrogates the efficacy of contemporary green markets when she writes, “The new naturalists don't reject the free market for its reckless degradation of the air, water, and soil as their forbearers did. Instead, they aspire to turn the forces of economic growth and development away from despoliation and toward regeneration. Couched in optimism that springs from avoiding conflict, the current approach asks why taking care of ecosystems must entail a Spartan doing without when saving the planet can be fun and relatively easy.” Rather than moving beyond capitalism to address what many agree is a clear and present ecological danger, progressive contemporary consumers turn to capitalist markets to fix this problem. In effect, they support a synthesis of ecological hand-wringing with the capitalist injunction toward profit and accumulation. The irony is unmistakably apparent. While the industrial revolution and the post-revolution markets that followed created the conditions for material prosperity for a vast number of people, they simultaneously engaged in ecologically destructive practices that ravished our planet while failing to recognize the unavoidable costs of those practices.

However, should we be so hard on them? Should they have known better? The latter of those questions obscures the single, guiding principle at the root of capitalism: accumulation. Capitalism is a system that is tricky to check, but the very notion of checking capitalism is anathema to how it functions. Therefore, it is deeply troubling to see contemporary environmentalists turn to capitalism instead of turning away from it (or moving beyond it). This dynamic is the question at the core of Rogers’ book whether she is writing about hybrid cars or perishable goods like food and coffee. How, for example, do Organic labels and Fair Trade seals “obscure ongoing destructive practices,” even as these “trust market” emblems seemingly confirm capitalism’s move toward morally-inclined practices? As these gestures suggest, accumulation is not capitalism’s only game; willful obscurantism is necessary as well, and that is what this eco-friendly turn within capitalism represents.

Rogers is quick to highlight how these problems are not the exclusive purview of capitalist markets; governments are in on the game as well. The HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point), for example, “Introduces procedures that, when carried out well, could improve food safety,” but, “the regulations were shaped by and for industrial-scale processors to the detriment of their small-scale competitors.” While it is not unique to acknowledge that government regulations too often benefit large-scale capitalist markets, Rogers suggests that supporting robust government programs, as an anecdote to capitalism, also needs to include a thorough reevaluation of regulatory practices. For now, fixing ecological problems can only work if we fix the regulatory infrastructure that encourages a particular sort of market of a particular scale.

Near the conclusion of Green Gone Wrong, Rogers meditates on what she learned during her research: “What I learned is that the outcome of industrial organic, commodity biofuels, and CO2 offsetting isn’t authentic protection and stewardship of the environment. What’s transpiring is a tailoring of environmental crises so they can be dealt with in ways today’s economic and political structure deem least threatening to the status quo.” Rogers stresses the degree to which these capitalist injunctions continue to dominate the terms of discourse later in this chapter when she writes, “Even as big automakers mass-produce eco-friendly machines…technologies that are least profitable, whether they’re environmentally sound or not, will have to wait.” Once again, if we fail to reckon with the principles and impulses that underpin capitalism, then we will only see changes along the margins, if at all.

One Last Thing
Rogers' book is not a wholesale refutation of green initiatives. There are several thoughtful chapters about actions in Germany which aim to build better, more sustainable housing and community infrastructures. These chapters show what green initiatives can look like when executed effectively.

[Ramzey · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the book Green Gone Wrong" Heather Rogers reveals the false promise of green capitalism. This book is an astute piece of investigative reporting.

Ms. Rogers traveled through North and South America, Asia and Europe. The author has discovered that earnest eco-minded ventures often struggle against vast institutional forces, calling into question their ability to survive over the long-term.


The real cost of going green is paid by millions of acres of rain forest that are cut down and burned for oil palm plantations. The corruption that big companies spread in far-away lands, the organic label that has no meaning in Paraguay`s sugar cane plantations where everything belongs to one big company that supplies the US market...etc.

It is NOT a happy read, but it shows what is really going on.

In the worst cases, she has found evidence of rampant fraud and corruption with severe negative consequences for the environment. Her experiences strongly suggest that green capitalism often serves as a corporate ruse: by assuaging consumer's guilt over their wasteful consumption habits, green capitalism intensifies the resource extraction processes that deplete the natural environment while boosting corporate profits.


For further reading on biofuels i recommend the
The Biofuels Deception going hungry on the green carbon diet by Yohannes Okbazghi

There was little mention of nuclear power so i also recommend reading After Fukushima: What We Now Know: A History of Nuclear Power and Radiation By Andrew Daniels.

[Leif · Rating 4 out of 5]

While dated in some respects, this is still an engaging journalistic take on a worthwhile topic. Particularly interesting are the attributions that Rogers makes to organizations that provide accreditation without meaningful evaluation or oversight, and which therefore cloud the waters of insight for the rest of us.

[Eurethius Péllitièr · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important contribution to understanding the scale we are dealing with, with regards to climate change

[Sa · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's some interesting stuff in here, but much of the information is outdated.

[Semih · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enlightening read about how the world "green" is abused and used to misled customers.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

give me your carbon credits and ill handle everything

[Lump · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit out of date, but brings up some good points for discussion and debate

[Ramin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book, and definitely worth reading. In each chapter of Green Gone Wrong, Heather Rogers documents the successes and failures of common attempts of "going green" (or greenwashing, as it turns out). There are chapters on organic and fair trade certifications, eco-architecture, biodiesel fuels, hybrid vehicles, and carbon offsets. In each case, many purported solutions to major environmental (and social) problems turn out to be very different than the proponents' claims. Rogers visits the factories where particular vehicles are built, and the sites of carbon offset programs, and the places receiving organic and fair trade labels, and in practice she finds that the claimed benefits of these things aren't always fulfilled.

The introduction and last few chapters are interesting too. She argues that business-as-usual consumerism, for example by simply changing light bulbs and buying Priuses, won't solve deep and widespread problems of environmental degradation and climate change. On the other hand, she applies her same practical criticisms to more radical proposed solutions, and finds that these may be insufficient as well. In the end, of course, there are no easy solutions. Nonetheless, we need to start with public engagement and political will, and with educating ourselves and each other. We should also become more aware of the connections between the environment and society in both the short- and long-term.

[LibraryCin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

In this book, the author assumes that global warming is happening. What she is looking at, here, is some of the things we have been trying to do to mitigate global warming, so our intentions are good, but those things are being “twisted” in some way or just really aren't useful in doing what we want them to do, after all.

The book is divided into three sections: Food, Shelter and Transportation. Organic food standards are so watered down and small farmers (who we really think of as being organic farmers) are not able to get the official certification due to hoops and cost. There are villages/areas in Germany where houses were built so that everything is meant to be green/sustainable. When it comes to transportation, she looks at biofuels (forests are being clearcut to make way for monocropping for biofuels), hybrid and electric vehicles, and carbon offsets.

Very interesting. Some is stuff I've heard about, some not. A bit disheartening, though, when we are trying to do right by our planet. She does, however, end with ways that everyone (governments, businesses, NGOs, farmers, people in general) can work together to make things happen to help.

[Ian James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good investigation and analysis of some pretty catastrophic failures of the Green environmental revolution. It clearly points out how trying to modify "free market" forces towards less destructive practices fails, primarily because of weak regulation, overly reliant on for-profit 3rd-party certifiers, laws written by large corporations, and corruption of governments by corporate money and influence.
While it is unsettling to discover that the Paraguayan sugar I buy from Costco is exploitative of small farmers and very far from being truly Organic, along with many other disturbing truths, it is very good to know these truths.
It is good to know that there are still many good options. It is also good to know that my solar panels, my electric car, my purchase of renewable energy from my local utility, are actually effective (although of course we will have to do much more than that).
Also, a straight Carbon Tax still looks good (much better than Cap & Trade). I am rooting for I-732 in Washington state (http://CarbonWA.org)

[Fleece]

not as in depth as i'd like but still informative enough with the issues it chose and the examples illustrating them. written more than five years ago now though, it'll be interesting to research follow-up--

especially interesting considering that in my ceqa class carbon credits to offset emissions were a pretty big deal, and of course i didn't think they'd be that effective but they're put into a lot of analysis probably without checking the actually efficacy of the credits like this book does

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, and sobering look at the misuse of 'green'. The trigger for writing the book was great many folks think thought they could be green by simply consuming the right products instead of consuming LESS.

Example: increase in the demand for organic sugarcane = greater clear cutting of forest for sugar plantations. It's hard to say that it's the only reason, but it is easier to certify organic on a new field instead of an old one.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phew...took me a few months but I finally finished. The cynic in me is cheering that someone finally researched the questions I've always had about so called 'green' solutions. Of course, her investigations don't have to indicate how things are everywhere, but it certainly gives one pause. And makes me want to promise to never, ever, ever buy organic sugar or use biodiesal! Not a quick or easy read but incredibly interesting and one that I'm glad I read.

[Irina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, lucid and well-researched analysis of the netherworld of "green capitalism" that's sprung up in the absence of an actual energy policy. It's a complicated story, but well worth the effort. Recommended for those who suspect it's not really that bad, as well as those who know it is (you don't know how bad).

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impressive journalism; fantastic analysis. Rogers elucidates how the failures of "green" or "natural" capitalism are the failings of capitalism itself, and that tinkering with a broken system won't save us. Instead, a change of heart, vision and course is necessary, and she highlights some positive examples in need of support, replication and understanding.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very eye-opening book about the efforts to become green. Not exactly light reading, but feel I have a better understanding of this issue. Everything is not what it appears!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A hard read but important. I like the fact that she ends with actual solutions taking place in the world instead of just dwelling on the problems.

[Daniel Burton-Rose]

This looks great!

[Velvetink]

tubel ebook

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely adds to the conversation of how best to switch from our dependence on fossil fuels.

[Bridget]

Too depressing to finish.