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A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency
“This is the roadmap out of climate crisis that Canadians have been waiting for.” (Naomi Klein, activist and
New York Times
best-selling author of
This Changes Everything
and
The Shock Doctrine
)
One of Canada’s top policy analysts provides the first full-scale blueprint for meeting our climate change commitments Contains the results of a national poll on Canadians’ attitudes to the climate crisis Shows that radical transformative climate action can be done, while producing jobs and reducing inequality as we retool how we live and work Deeply researched and targeted specifically to Canada and Canadians while providing a model that other countries could follow Canada needs to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent to prevent a catastrophic 1.5 degree increase in the earth’s average temperature - assumed by many scientists to be a critical “danger line” for the planet and human life as we know it.
It’s 2020, and Canada is not on track to meet our targets. To do so, we’ll need radical systemic change to how we live and work - and fast. How can we ever achieve this?
Top policy analyst and author Seth Klein reveals we can do it now because we’ve done it before. During the Second World War, Canadian citizens and government remade the economy by retooling factories, transforming their workforce, and making the war effort a common cause for all Canadians to contribute to.
Klein demonstrates how wartime thinking and community efforts can be repurposed today for Canada’s own Green New Deal. He shares how we can create jobs and reduce inequality while tackling our climate obligations for a climate neutral - or even climate zero - future. From enlisting broad public support for new economic models, to job creation through investment in green infrastructure, Klein shows us a bold, practical policy plan for Canada’s sustainable future. More than A Good War offers a remarkably hopeful message for how we can meet the defining challenge of our lives.
COVID-19 has brought a previously unthinkable pace of change to the world - one that demonstrates our ability to adapt rapidly when we’re at risk. Many recent changes are what Klein proposes here. The world can, actually, turn on a dime if necessary. This is the blueprint for how to do it.
One of Canada’s top policy analysts provides the first full-scale blueprint for meeting our climate change commitments Contains the results of a national poll on Canadians’ attitudes to the climate crisis Shows that radical transformative climate action can be done, while producing jobs and reducing inequality as we retool how we live and work Deeply researched and targeted specifically to Canada and Canadians while providing a model that other countries could follow Canada needs to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent to prevent a catastrophic 1.5 degree increase in the earth’s average temperature - assumed by many scientists to be a critical “danger line” for the planet and human life as we know it.
It’s 2020, and Canada is not on track to meet our targets. To do so, we’ll need radical systemic change to how we live and work - and fast. How can we ever achieve this?
Top policy analyst and author Seth Klein reveals we can do it now because we’ve done it before. During the Second World War, Canadian citizens and government remade the economy by retooling factories, transforming their workforce, and making the war effort a common cause for all Canadians to contribute to.
Klein demonstrates how wartime thinking and community efforts can be repurposed today for Canada’s own Green New Deal. He shares how we can create jobs and reduce inequality while tackling our climate obligations for a climate neutral - or even climate zero - future. From enlisting broad public support for new economic models, to job creation through investment in green infrastructure, Klein shows us a bold, practical policy plan for Canada’s sustainable future. More than A Good War offers a remarkably hopeful message for how we can meet the defining challenge of our lives.
COVID-19 has brought a previously unthinkable pace of change to the world - one that demonstrates our ability to adapt rapidly when we’re at risk. Many recent changes are what Klein proposes here. The world can, actually, turn on a dime if necessary. This is the blueprint for how to do it.
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Published November 4, 2020
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August 11, 2024
State Mobilization 101: Lessons from WWII…
Preamble:
--Naomi Klein’s books have naturally been a major early influence, which I’m now appreciating more and more as I focus on how to popularize structural critiques and emancipatory ideas.
--N. Klein’s talent is in balancing structural critiques with journalistic story-telling that turn overwhelming/abstract topics like climate/capitalist crises into engaging stories for the public:
-ex. This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate
-ex. On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal
--For those fortunate enough to read these books, we are provided with a bridge to more detailed (including “academic”) works which I’ve been exploring since. However, I cannot help thinking of the major gap between public discourse and academic debates (those who don’t read, or read only escapist entertainment)… all the people who never reach the bridge, or get distracted (N. Klein’s 2023 Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World explores right-wing scapegoating).
…The mountains of academic texts piling up in the ivory towers seem rather inconsequential in the big picture unless this gap is addressed, and I’m still looking for solutions here.
--Meanwhile, N. Klein’s brother has written this 464-page tome which is a next-step for those already on the bridge, providing a synthesis of structural details to N. Klein’s engaging intros as well as the foundational The Climate Book: The Facts and the Solutions. While my readings have been focused on the US’s geopolitical economy and its looming shadow, I am so impressed with what Seth Klein has unearthed using Canada as the case study…
Highlights:
1) New Denialism: Centrist Incrementalism:
--I’m tempted to rush through this first section to get to the fascinating historical/political economy insights. However, we must first establish our current situation regarding actions to address climate/ecological crises.
--Capitalist elites have long recognized climate change behind closed doors via corporate and military research: Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming. Liberal (i.e. cosmopolitan capitalist) politics may no longer rhetorically deny the “science” of “climate change”, but there’s a major gap in “politics” between words and action.
--Centrist incrementalist policies are trivial compared to capitalism’s cancerous growth. Even worse, these trivial actions are portrayed as progress in climate action, creating a “new denialism” on how far behind we really are. Incrementalism plays soft-ball with often voluntary (ex. soft reduction targets) or completely insufficient market-driven regulations (ex. carbon tax), often targeting the individual consumer side (demand-side) since liberal capitalism has no political will to challenge capitalist production (supply-side; requiring quotas/bans).
--Canada is infamous for tar sands, shipping liquid “natural” gas to Asia. While the emissions from use may be “cleaner” than coal, the extraction (usually fracking), production (liquefaction) and distribution are major socioenvironmental costs which get externalized from capitalist balance sheets.
--Centrist incrementalists sometimes claim the political truth would cause fear/despair and freeze action. Or, they claim politics must meet the public at where they are at and take plodding steps (appeasement = credibility = good governance). We’ve heard all this before, and that’s why we critically study history…
2) State Social Mobilization: WWII:
--During WWI (basically a European war), Canada’s (still a British Dominion) politics suffered the “Conscription Crisis of 1917” which emphasized existing tensions in the project of “Canada” nationalism: English vs. French, federal party vs. provinces, class conflict due to capitalist war-time profiteering (War is a Racket: The Antiwar Classic by America's Most Decorated Soldier), etc.
--After WWI, failure to re-integrate working-class soldiers back into society after being maimed in a rich man’s war contributed to the “Winnipeg General Strike of 1919”. This is the greatest fear of liberalism: mass discontent of capitalism’s wars/inequalities/alienation, and the rise of socialism.
--Global capitalist crisis reoccurred with the Great Depression and the rise of fascism (no thanks to liberalism’s appeasement in an attempt to target liberalism’s greater threat: communism in USSR and socialism at home) leading to WWII: Blackshirts and Reds: Rational Fascism and the Overthrow of Communism.
--With the rise of fascism, how did Canada’s liberal politics/society transform from incrementalist inaction to mass mobilization for WWII?
i) Liberalism’s immediate threat:
--(Brushed over in book). Let’s keep in mind the condition of pre-war liberalism: the US still had Jim Crow segregation, Europe still had colonies (Discourse on Colonialism), Hitler took inspiration from European settler colonialism (Hitler's American Model: The United States and the Making of Nazi Race Law), and eugenics still mainstream in Western science.
…It was only after fascism started expanding into liberal spheres of influence (rather than just attacking USSR communism/domestic socialists) that forced more liberal elites to view fascism as an immediate threat and shift away from appeasement/cheerleading. And it was only from going to war with fascism that anti-fascists/anti-colonialists/anti-racists in liberal countries/colonies gained more bargaining power, since liberal elites had to try to distinguish themselves from their war-time fascist enemies.
ii) War capitalism:
--Since S. Klein’s roots are in anti-war activism (father left the US for Canada to escape the draft for the war on Vietnam), this book definitely acknowledges the immediate negative lessons from war-time mobilization, with its construction of group identities (esp. nationalism) covering up important issues (esp. class) and spiraling towards jingoism/othering/censorship.
--I would stress that war remains the one state-led mass mobilization disrupting existing capitalist property rights which can still mobilize enough capitalist support, as wars involve hierarchical chains of commands where the working class is divided to kill each other.
--S. Klein still frames the war against fascism (keep in mind this is from the context of Canada, i.e. British empire liberalism, rather than USSR/China’s self-defense) to be a rare exception of a justifiable war; I’d add that we should seek deeper analysis on alternative strategies, as it’s the responsibility of “intellectuals” to rigorously broaden the scope of understanding and thus possibilities.
…In WWII, fascism (esp. imperial Japan, but also Nazi Germany) had a disadvantage from their resource dependency (they were late to colonialism compared to the British Empire), while global capitalism remained relatively neutral (“business as usual”) during the war with key Western corporations infamously supplying both sides: materials (ex. Standard Oil, Ford/General Motors military vehicles/ITT bombs) and finance (ex. Chase Bank): Trading with the Enemy: An Exposé of the Nazi-American Money Plot, 1933-1949
--Are we to believe there was no way to mobilize protests/sabotage to shut this down? How much of the arteries fueling fascist expansionism could have been shut off? Of course, liberal elites would rather send their working class to die in the fine tradition of classist wars rather than jeopardize global capitalism’s “business as usual”… All wars are tragedies of social organization and imagination.
…see comments below for the rest of the review (the bulk of S. Klein’s insights)…
Preamble:
--Naomi Klein’s books have naturally been a major early influence, which I’m now appreciating more and more as I focus on how to popularize structural critiques and emancipatory ideas.
--N. Klein’s talent is in balancing structural critiques with journalistic story-telling that turn overwhelming/abstract topics like climate/capitalist crises into engaging stories for the public:
-ex. This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate
-ex. On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal
--For those fortunate enough to read these books, we are provided with a bridge to more detailed (including “academic”) works which I’ve been exploring since. However, I cannot help thinking of the major gap between public discourse and academic debates (those who don’t read, or read only escapist entertainment)… all the people who never reach the bridge, or get distracted (N. Klein’s 2023 Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World explores right-wing scapegoating).
…The mountains of academic texts piling up in the ivory towers seem rather inconsequential in the big picture unless this gap is addressed, and I’m still looking for solutions here.
--Meanwhile, N. Klein’s brother has written this 464-page tome which is a next-step for those already on the bridge, providing a synthesis of structural details to N. Klein’s engaging intros as well as the foundational The Climate Book: The Facts and the Solutions. While my readings have been focused on the US’s geopolitical economy and its looming shadow, I am so impressed with what Seth Klein has unearthed using Canada as the case study…
Highlights:
1) New Denialism: Centrist Incrementalism:
--I’m tempted to rush through this first section to get to the fascinating historical/political economy insights. However, we must first establish our current situation regarding actions to address climate/ecological crises.
--Capitalist elites have long recognized climate change behind closed doors via corporate and military research: Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming. Liberal (i.e. cosmopolitan capitalist) politics may no longer rhetorically deny the “science” of “climate change”, but there’s a major gap in “politics” between words and action.
--Centrist incrementalist policies are trivial compared to capitalism’s cancerous growth. Even worse, these trivial actions are portrayed as progress in climate action, creating a “new denialism” on how far behind we really are. Incrementalism plays soft-ball with often voluntary (ex. soft reduction targets) or completely insufficient market-driven regulations (ex. carbon tax), often targeting the individual consumer side (demand-side) since liberal capitalism has no political will to challenge capitalist production (supply-side; requiring quotas/bans).
--Canada is infamous for tar sands, shipping liquid “natural” gas to Asia. While the emissions from use may be “cleaner” than coal, the extraction (usually fracking), production (liquefaction) and distribution are major socioenvironmental costs which get externalized from capitalist balance sheets.
--Centrist incrementalists sometimes claim the political truth would cause fear/despair and freeze action. Or, they claim politics must meet the public at where they are at and take plodding steps (appeasement = credibility = good governance). We’ve heard all this before, and that’s why we critically study history…
2) State Social Mobilization: WWII:
--During WWI (basically a European war), Canada’s (still a British Dominion) politics suffered the “Conscription Crisis of 1917” which emphasized existing tensions in the project of “Canada” nationalism: English vs. French, federal party vs. provinces, class conflict due to capitalist war-time profiteering (War is a Racket: The Antiwar Classic by America's Most Decorated Soldier), etc.
--After WWI, failure to re-integrate working-class soldiers back into society after being maimed in a rich man’s war contributed to the “Winnipeg General Strike of 1919”. This is the greatest fear of liberalism: mass discontent of capitalism’s wars/inequalities/alienation, and the rise of socialism.
--Global capitalist crisis reoccurred with the Great Depression and the rise of fascism (no thanks to liberalism’s appeasement in an attempt to target liberalism’s greater threat: communism in USSR and socialism at home) leading to WWII: Blackshirts and Reds: Rational Fascism and the Overthrow of Communism.
--With the rise of fascism, how did Canada’s liberal politics/society transform from incrementalist inaction to mass mobilization for WWII?
i) Liberalism’s immediate threat:
--(Brushed over in book). Let’s keep in mind the condition of pre-war liberalism: the US still had Jim Crow segregation, Europe still had colonies (Discourse on Colonialism), Hitler took inspiration from European settler colonialism (Hitler's American Model: The United States and the Making of Nazi Race Law), and eugenics still mainstream in Western science.
…It was only after fascism started expanding into liberal spheres of influence (rather than just attacking USSR communism/domestic socialists) that forced more liberal elites to view fascism as an immediate threat and shift away from appeasement/cheerleading. And it was only from going to war with fascism that anti-fascists/anti-colonialists/anti-racists in liberal countries/colonies gained more bargaining power, since liberal elites had to try to distinguish themselves from their war-time fascist enemies.
ii) War capitalism:
--Since S. Klein’s roots are in anti-war activism (father left the US for Canada to escape the draft for the war on Vietnam), this book definitely acknowledges the immediate negative lessons from war-time mobilization, with its construction of group identities (esp. nationalism) covering up important issues (esp. class) and spiraling towards jingoism/othering/censorship.
--I would stress that war remains the one state-led mass mobilization disrupting existing capitalist property rights which can still mobilize enough capitalist support, as wars involve hierarchical chains of commands where the working class is divided to kill each other.
--S. Klein still frames the war against fascism (keep in mind this is from the context of Canada, i.e. British empire liberalism, rather than USSR/China’s self-defense) to be a rare exception of a justifiable war; I’d add that we should seek deeper analysis on alternative strategies, as it’s the responsibility of “intellectuals” to rigorously broaden the scope of understanding and thus possibilities.
…In WWII, fascism (esp. imperial Japan, but also Nazi Germany) had a disadvantage from their resource dependency (they were late to colonialism compared to the British Empire), while global capitalism remained relatively neutral (“business as usual”) during the war with key Western corporations infamously supplying both sides: materials (ex. Standard Oil, Ford/General Motors military vehicles/ITT bombs) and finance (ex. Chase Bank): Trading with the Enemy: An Exposé of the Nazi-American Money Plot, 1933-1949
--Are we to believe there was no way to mobilize protests/sabotage to shut this down? How much of the arteries fueling fascist expansionism could have been shut off? Of course, liberal elites would rather send their working class to die in the fine tradition of classist wars rather than jeopardize global capitalism’s “business as usual”… All wars are tragedies of social organization and imagination.
…see comments below for the rest of the review (the bulk of S. Klein’s insights)…
January 27, 2021
wow this was so good!! fucking long, the audiobook was a little over 18hrs. BUT a little chunk of that time is skippable bc I’m not in the business of listening to every chapter’s end notes (reading out http:/ etc). I think I would like to get a physical copy of this to refer back to just because there was so much in it that I’m still thinking about and it’s easier to flip through a book to find things than with an audiobook. I actually think it’s basically impossible with an audiobook.
I wasn’t sure how I would feel abt reading a book on the climate crisis when there is already so much dreadful stuff going on in life but I really enjoyed this and I think it was very real about the balance of hope/fear that we all face when we think about tackling this challenge.
I was really into the framework of this book, which was exploring Canada’s ww2 mobilization policy and determining what lessons we can learn from that about what is politically possible and how we can confront the climate emergency through courageous and imaginative policy. the author was really clear about being anti-war and I thought he really thoroughly addressed the limitations of the war-time framework and potential pitfalls. honestly I also just liked learning about what Canada’s policy makers did during ww2 and how every day people came together and did what needed to be done. obviously also Canada did some unforgivable things but like I said it was all addressed. I thought that it was a really effective parallel to draw, and I can see myself using arguments like “they didn’t know who would win the war” and “Canada has punched above its weight before” in future conversations about climate action.
Loved all of the detailed conversation about canadian attitudes towards major climate policies and green new deal type actions. take a shot every time you hear “even in alberta”. I think I might’ve already called this book thorough but it really really was. I think it put forth a lot of great ideas about a just transition for oil and gas workers, refugees, temporary foreign workers, and of course Indigenous people. I think every interview added something to the book, and a lot of the books he referred to in this are going to get added to my list. Talk about policy making and public opinion and our electoral system makes me miss being a political science student so much... anyways great read. I think this would be a good read even if you’re not totally sure where you stand on how quickly and intensely we need to act on climate. I found it’s arguments really convincing.
edit - additional comment that I forgot to address bc I was writing this on my break: this book came out this year basically right after covid started and so I was definitely thinking abt how that impacts the perceived urgency of climate policy and fiscal capability/willingness to fund climate action. the epilogue of the book talks about covid and how the govt response is proof that when there’s an emergency the govt can ACT baby and we find the money and the will for things that didn’t seem possible before. lots of parallels I noticed between just covid recovery demands and visions for a green new deal that addresses inequality. the author says he is keeping an updated epilogue on his website to discuss lessons from covid response for climate response and I think that’s really cool and also I’m interested to see what he thinks about public mobilization. bc in this book there was a lot of discussion on if people now days are less deferential to authority and whether that would lessen the likelihood of collective action/ ability to accept uncomfortable lifestyle changes to reduce GHGs. and in his epilogue he highlighted that as a society we all adapted to covid restrictions really quickly and the vast majority of us are doing our part. and idk if I’m being cynical but 10 months into the pandemic in NA and I can’t help but think of everyone who isn’t doing their part... but on the other hand, a lot of us really are. so idk what it all means!
Some questions I still have: I THINK I get how we’re gonna pay for it... but I don’t know enough to comment on whether Klein’s ideas are completely solid. I don’t really understand what the purpose of a youth climate corps is... like what would they do. also basically I found this book so thorough and easy to follow that I found myself thinking “okay so WHY ARENT WE DOING THIS??” theres either a catch or we’re really just standing in our own way because we’re scared and because politicians won’t allow us to face the truth. we can’t have it all. it will be hard. but I think if we get out of our own way and act with courage, maybe we can do it. The author says near the end of the book that a major difference between ww2 mobilization and climate mobilization is that in war the sacrifice was blood and for the climate crisis the sacrifice needs to be money. and I think we all know which of the two the rich are more likely to part with. idk just dreaming of politicians with a spine and a vision. can I get a little bit of courage and honesty up in here
I wasn’t sure how I would feel abt reading a book on the climate crisis when there is already so much dreadful stuff going on in life but I really enjoyed this and I think it was very real about the balance of hope/fear that we all face when we think about tackling this challenge.
I was really into the framework of this book, which was exploring Canada’s ww2 mobilization policy and determining what lessons we can learn from that about what is politically possible and how we can confront the climate emergency through courageous and imaginative policy. the author was really clear about being anti-war and I thought he really thoroughly addressed the limitations of the war-time framework and potential pitfalls. honestly I also just liked learning about what Canada’s policy makers did during ww2 and how every day people came together and did what needed to be done. obviously also Canada did some unforgivable things but like I said it was all addressed. I thought that it was a really effective parallel to draw, and I can see myself using arguments like “they didn’t know who would win the war” and “Canada has punched above its weight before” in future conversations about climate action.
Loved all of the detailed conversation about canadian attitudes towards major climate policies and green new deal type actions. take a shot every time you hear “even in alberta”. I think I might’ve already called this book thorough but it really really was. I think it put forth a lot of great ideas about a just transition for oil and gas workers, refugees, temporary foreign workers, and of course Indigenous people. I think every interview added something to the book, and a lot of the books he referred to in this are going to get added to my list. Talk about policy making and public opinion and our electoral system makes me miss being a political science student so much... anyways great read. I think this would be a good read even if you’re not totally sure where you stand on how quickly and intensely we need to act on climate. I found it’s arguments really convincing.
edit - additional comment that I forgot to address bc I was writing this on my break: this book came out this year basically right after covid started and so I was definitely thinking abt how that impacts the perceived urgency of climate policy and fiscal capability/willingness to fund climate action. the epilogue of the book talks about covid and how the govt response is proof that when there’s an emergency the govt can ACT baby and we find the money and the will for things that didn’t seem possible before. lots of parallels I noticed between just covid recovery demands and visions for a green new deal that addresses inequality. the author says he is keeping an updated epilogue on his website to discuss lessons from covid response for climate response and I think that’s really cool and also I’m interested to see what he thinks about public mobilization. bc in this book there was a lot of discussion on if people now days are less deferential to authority and whether that would lessen the likelihood of collective action/ ability to accept uncomfortable lifestyle changes to reduce GHGs. and in his epilogue he highlighted that as a society we all adapted to covid restrictions really quickly and the vast majority of us are doing our part. and idk if I’m being cynical but 10 months into the pandemic in NA and I can’t help but think of everyone who isn’t doing their part... but on the other hand, a lot of us really are. so idk what it all means!
Some questions I still have: I THINK I get how we’re gonna pay for it... but I don’t know enough to comment on whether Klein’s ideas are completely solid. I don’t really understand what the purpose of a youth climate corps is... like what would they do. also basically I found this book so thorough and easy to follow that I found myself thinking “okay so WHY ARENT WE DOING THIS??” theres either a catch or we’re really just standing in our own way because we’re scared and because politicians won’t allow us to face the truth. we can’t have it all. it will be hard. but I think if we get out of our own way and act with courage, maybe we can do it. The author says near the end of the book that a major difference between ww2 mobilization and climate mobilization is that in war the sacrifice was blood and for the climate crisis the sacrifice needs to be money. and I think we all know which of the two the rich are more likely to part with. idk just dreaming of politicians with a spine and a vision. can I get a little bit of courage and honesty up in here
January 28, 2021
A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency, by Seth Klein, is an excellent read discussing solid policy plans and ideas to mobilize Canada to combat climate change. Klein is the brother of Naomi Klein, famous Canadian author of No Logo and longstanding political commentator, and one of the founding directors of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, a think tank focused on poverty alleviation, combating climate change, and improving social welfare in Canada. Klein has a long tenure outside of his connection to his sister, and is a veteran labour activist, environmentalist and policy researcher.
This book looks at Canada's mobilization strategies in World War I and II, and how these strategies could be used to combat climate change. The policy discussed here is far reaching, looking at everything from Canadian federalism, Alberta and the oilsands, energy policy, employment and labour policy, banking and finance, culture and social issues, and indigenous relations. This book is Canadian-centric, looking at policy from a Canadian perspective, and with a focus on many issues that relate to Canada's history or some persistent political concerns. Klein comes at it from the left perspective and quotes at length from the Leap Manifesto; a political manifesto related to climate change closely associated with Canada's New Democratic Party (NDP). This book was fascinating from a policy perspective - the changes offered here are all interesting and innovative, and go beyond the basic carbon pricing mentality and slow roll out discourse that is common in Canada and many other Western democracies.
Canada is an interesting country when it comes to debate on reducing greenhouse gases. Canada is one of the world's largest oil producing nations, and the province of Alberta generates almost 40% of its gross revenues from this source alone. Oil and gas is also a prevalent sector in neighbouring Saskatchewan, and in Newfoundland, where off-shore oil has boosted provincial revenues in this historically depressed province. On the flip side, provinces like British Colombia and Quebec have been leading the charge in trying to implement progressive environmental policies in their provinces, and have been advocating for them at the Federal level as well. Some provinces in Canada have green house gas emission akin to some of the cleanest nations in Europe, while others emit about the same per capita as oil monarchies in the Gulf. Klein lays out numerous polls and studies that show that most Canadians (60+%) seem to be in favour of reducing green house gas emissions. Even so, there are strong lobbyist groups in labour and in the oil and gas industry that are able to persuade politicians to continue to invest in the sector. One of my greatest disappointments with our current Liberal government in Canada, under the leadership of Justin Trudeau, has been the continued funding for Canada's oil pipeline infrastructure.
Even so, one can see the frustrations here. While Alberta's provincial government has long off-set provincial taxes with oil revenues, leading to its current fiscal issues as oil revenues continue to fall over time, this is hardly the fault of the workers who must make their living in these areas. Alberta has an investment deficit - much of the funds in this province trend toward the oil and gas sector, or supporting firms, and are not divested in other assets that would diversify Alberta's economic portfolio. This is clearly a failure of provincial financial and economic policy, but it is also a failure of politics, and a failure from a federal perspective as well. And caught in the middle are Albertans themselves, who continue to suffer both an infrastructure deficit, and a deficit of diversified employment. Not only that, but many Canadians in other provinces blame Albertans as a whole for this mess; not a good sign for federal-provincial relations. All of this is done with frequent comparisons to Canada's past federalist struggles, particularly with Quebec in mind, but also examining the Western Canadian trends toward provincially focused politics.
Another interesting chapter covered the cultural aspects of mobilizing populations, looking at Canada's history with advertisement and propaganda in the Wars. Klein notes that when the going got tough, the government got messaging; organizations like the CBC, NFB and so forth were created to manage radio, and then television and film to mobilize the population, reduce tension, and bring news and content to citizens in a democratic fashion. Klein looks at the muddled messaging from the Canadian government; neutral, not controversial, and certainly designed to feel safe for oil investors. In short, not the level of context needed for a climate emergency. If Canada is to get on a war footing and handle climate change internally, it needs to work on its messaging. New initiatives in art, culture and public and private broadcasting are noted. Social media is discussed, and so forth.
Many other chapters exist in this book; discussions on the conflicting worlds of inequality and environmental justice are discussed, as is the economy and the labour market, indigenous sovereignty, and quite a few more topics are present. This was an excellent book, and one that focuses certainly on a left wing perspective that promotes government led initiatives over the slower conservative approach. Klein argues that we don't have time for that when it comes to climate change, and he almost certainly is right. I did not fully see eye to eye with all the policy perspectives, as well as the war footing tone - which may cause panic, anxiety and burnout - all issues that would hamper the average voters ability or desire to focus and come up with solutions for climate issues. However, this was top notch discourse, and more needs to be done by Canada's government at all levels if we want to avoid more Fort McMurray wildfires, river flooding, heat waves, and habitat loss, which all have massive economic, biological and ultimately political costs. It's time to get real; and Klein pulls no punches. This is a fantastic read for those who wish to learn more about Canadian environmental policy options, and those looking for practical solutions to our climate emergency.
This book looks at Canada's mobilization strategies in World War I and II, and how these strategies could be used to combat climate change. The policy discussed here is far reaching, looking at everything from Canadian federalism, Alberta and the oilsands, energy policy, employment and labour policy, banking and finance, culture and social issues, and indigenous relations. This book is Canadian-centric, looking at policy from a Canadian perspective, and with a focus on many issues that relate to Canada's history or some persistent political concerns. Klein comes at it from the left perspective and quotes at length from the Leap Manifesto; a political manifesto related to climate change closely associated with Canada's New Democratic Party (NDP). This book was fascinating from a policy perspective - the changes offered here are all interesting and innovative, and go beyond the basic carbon pricing mentality and slow roll out discourse that is common in Canada and many other Western democracies.
Canada is an interesting country when it comes to debate on reducing greenhouse gases. Canada is one of the world's largest oil producing nations, and the province of Alberta generates almost 40% of its gross revenues from this source alone. Oil and gas is also a prevalent sector in neighbouring Saskatchewan, and in Newfoundland, where off-shore oil has boosted provincial revenues in this historically depressed province. On the flip side, provinces like British Colombia and Quebec have been leading the charge in trying to implement progressive environmental policies in their provinces, and have been advocating for them at the Federal level as well. Some provinces in Canada have green house gas emission akin to some of the cleanest nations in Europe, while others emit about the same per capita as oil monarchies in the Gulf. Klein lays out numerous polls and studies that show that most Canadians (60+%) seem to be in favour of reducing green house gas emissions. Even so, there are strong lobbyist groups in labour and in the oil and gas industry that are able to persuade politicians to continue to invest in the sector. One of my greatest disappointments with our current Liberal government in Canada, under the leadership of Justin Trudeau, has been the continued funding for Canada's oil pipeline infrastructure.
Even so, one can see the frustrations here. While Alberta's provincial government has long off-set provincial taxes with oil revenues, leading to its current fiscal issues as oil revenues continue to fall over time, this is hardly the fault of the workers who must make their living in these areas. Alberta has an investment deficit - much of the funds in this province trend toward the oil and gas sector, or supporting firms, and are not divested in other assets that would diversify Alberta's economic portfolio. This is clearly a failure of provincial financial and economic policy, but it is also a failure of politics, and a failure from a federal perspective as well. And caught in the middle are Albertans themselves, who continue to suffer both an infrastructure deficit, and a deficit of diversified employment. Not only that, but many Canadians in other provinces blame Albertans as a whole for this mess; not a good sign for federal-provincial relations. All of this is done with frequent comparisons to Canada's past federalist struggles, particularly with Quebec in mind, but also examining the Western Canadian trends toward provincially focused politics.
Another interesting chapter covered the cultural aspects of mobilizing populations, looking at Canada's history with advertisement and propaganda in the Wars. Klein notes that when the going got tough, the government got messaging; organizations like the CBC, NFB and so forth were created to manage radio, and then television and film to mobilize the population, reduce tension, and bring news and content to citizens in a democratic fashion. Klein looks at the muddled messaging from the Canadian government; neutral, not controversial, and certainly designed to feel safe for oil investors. In short, not the level of context needed for a climate emergency. If Canada is to get on a war footing and handle climate change internally, it needs to work on its messaging. New initiatives in art, culture and public and private broadcasting are noted. Social media is discussed, and so forth.
Many other chapters exist in this book; discussions on the conflicting worlds of inequality and environmental justice are discussed, as is the economy and the labour market, indigenous sovereignty, and quite a few more topics are present. This was an excellent book, and one that focuses certainly on a left wing perspective that promotes government led initiatives over the slower conservative approach. Klein argues that we don't have time for that when it comes to climate change, and he almost certainly is right. I did not fully see eye to eye with all the policy perspectives, as well as the war footing tone - which may cause panic, anxiety and burnout - all issues that would hamper the average voters ability or desire to focus and come up with solutions for climate issues. However, this was top notch discourse, and more needs to be done by Canada's government at all levels if we want to avoid more Fort McMurray wildfires, river flooding, heat waves, and habitat loss, which all have massive economic, biological and ultimately political costs. It's time to get real; and Klein pulls no punches. This is a fantastic read for those who wish to learn more about Canadian environmental policy options, and those looking for practical solutions to our climate emergency.
August 2, 2024
Maybe 3.5 rounded up? A good and applicable metaphor, got a little repetitive at times, and still unsure exactly how well it fits in current political scenario as we are far from mobilizing against a common enemy. Very well thought out and action-oriented though, would love to see this level of effort in policymaking
September 27, 2021
As a peace-mongerer, I wasn't expecting to be swayed by a wartime analogy for tackling the climate emergency. But the comparison to Canada's mobilization in World War II worked - I found the book both deeply inspiring and practical. Thorough, well-researched, and written with a lively sense of humanity.
August 20, 2021
This is an excellent and vital book at this moment in Canadian history. Klein uses Canada's response to WWII to show what is possible and what is necessary for our country to make the necessary changes to deal with the climate crisis. It is a war-like crisis that we are facing and must be approached with war-like severity, significant spending, and all the talented people that can work toward our future. It addresses the importance of rethinking our neoliberal presuppositions, listening to Indigenous leadership, thinking of and listening to our children, and including true justice for the marginalized in our decisions. Readjusting our economy brings significant challenges, but also carries the promise of social solidarity and meaningful employment. This is the defining challenge for our generation and our response will determine the world that we leave to those who come after us, for better or for worse. Canada has an important role to play and the decisions that we make and the course of action that we walk down must be done boldly, wisely, and quickly.
November 16, 2021
This book is amazingly well written. Dealing with climate change in a realistic way requires knowledge of science, history, economics, government policies, politics. It’s a lot, and it can seem overwhelming. However, Seth Klein brilliantly shows how not only we can blunt the wort effects of climate change, but help reconstruct our society from the neoliberal black hole we’ve flung ourselves into for the past 40 years. This is the bold vision we need to make real progress on abandoning fossil fuels and moving towards a bright future. I encourage all Canadians to read this book and then actually go out and make a difference.
December 8, 2021
I must admit to be torn about the war narrative and even the idea that WW2 should be understood as a good war. But the example is super effective in the sense of giving an example of mobilizing for an emergency and rallying all facets of the economy, society, etc. to contribute to the effort. There are many great chapters here. I wish the book had done more on Indigenous sovereignty and rights. It was mostly focused on "unceeded" lands in BC, when it did speak of Indigenous rights and didn't wade into how to recognize sovereignty and jurisdiction in the historical treaties. Part three was my favourite.
August 13, 2022
Trying to get boomers on board with climate change mitigation through WWII nostalgia is so bleak it’s almost funny.
November 17, 2022
I thought it apropos to review A Good War on this Remembrance Day - Canada's WWII mass mobilization being author Seth Klein's analogy as his brilliant blueprint for tackling THE challenge of our times, the Climate emergency...
[Yes it's time - no eyerolls, please - & this book elucidates exactly why!]
In fact, I suggest every single participant of the now-in-session #COP27 International Climate Conference get a copy of A Good War - & use it as the basis for immediate Climate policy-making (the time for endless circular discussions is OVER!) while duly REMEMBERING our heroic veterans...
As the perfect *Kismet* of TiME + TOPiC, Canada's WWII response is an intriguing real-life model by which to analyze, assess, compare, inspire & ultimately mobilize Canadians to get on with the urgent task at hand: winning the 'good war', i.e. Climate ACTION (caps mine)
This book is full of myth-busting bombs about Canada's global contributions - then (WWII) & now (our Climate response) - & masterfully weaves facts & quotes & stats throughout to present a sobering wake-up 'call to arms' for all Canadians. Klein's powerful thesis (that Canada CAN mobilize all sectors to effectively organize Climate action, because we've done it before - to help win a war) gains significant heft by extensive research that backs the facts & lays them clearly on the table, & in our hands...
Thankfully, Klein wastes no time trying to argue/ convince 'denialists' of the pro's & con's of Climate science: From the start, we're brought up to speed with where we need to be on this urgent issue, which is WHERE THE SCIENCE IS (of course). And that's where Canada's approach has so far stalled/ died from disuse (after our own PM called this crisis what it is: an 'EMERGENCY'!!?)
Next day, PM Trudeau bought a pipeline..
* * *
WWII war measures contrast glaringly against today's 2 most depressingly obvious barriers to Climate progress: Government, & News media. In these, the difference between action & pretense - then & now - exposes our top cultural institutions as woefully inadequate - if not inept... & poss even (like BigOil's ubiquitous lobbyists) evil saboteurs purposely BLOCKING all advances/chances..
The book's interwoven comparisons between war-time politics/ reporting VS. today's ineffectual mainstream milquetoast denialism put current 'leaders' in both realms to shame. As quoted from page 82:
"The good news is that answers exist for all these questions... Of course, all the best information, the clearest answers and the most compelling vision means nothing if people aren't aware of them."
Case in point: Canada has yet to plan the critical changes Govts & MSM MUST MAKE in order to align with the Science that's become lost behind all the BS- which is so prevalent now, both sectors seem to run on 'Spin' alone while advancing SCANT SUBSTANCE (I doubt these traitorous louts woulda led us to WWII victory!)
There's enough here to dismiss/ indict our Govt's entire 'raison-d'etre' - but maybe that's the brutal truth of WHO we're really up against: the bosses with the unearned power to decide if we succeed or fail (the latter looking likeliest)/ lying media/ both
* * *
Despair/ frustration/ helplessness aside, this book could be the ideal tool for educators to attain 2 goals in one: ie. invaluable teaching on both topics (WWII & Climate crisis) But as Klein points out, THAT's a pipedream marred by Big Industry's interfering power even in our schools (EG. inculcating kids with last-century ecocidal development/ extraction economics - the same systemic M.Os which Science pinpoints as THE key culprits of anthropogenic climate crisis!!?)
I.E. Seems our Govts have regressed to their colonial roots, when democracy meant locking away all those (indigenous) who saw firsthand their forest-raping, land-stealing, poisoning, polluting truths.. & forcing their kids into 'Residential Schools' to get them on the same gravy train as the rest of us... Now that the Science is OUT, they're siding with corporate climate-wreckers/ profiteers (=THE ENEMY!?) while pretending to uphold their democratic duty.
Prob is, most Cdns are too comfy/ complicit to care or notice - JUST AS most Germans 'went along with' Nazi BS b4 it blew up in their faces. But they paid for their inaction!
Will we end up paying for ours?
* * *
Suffice to say, A Good War is a must-read for getting up-to-speed on where we've been, where we're at, & where we're going with Climate action: Without any doubt, we're falling well short of 'gettin' 'er done'..
[Yes it's time - no eyerolls, please - & this book elucidates exactly why!]
In fact, I suggest every single participant of the now-in-session #COP27 International Climate Conference get a copy of A Good War - & use it as the basis for immediate Climate policy-making (the time for endless circular discussions is OVER!) while duly REMEMBERING our heroic veterans...
As the perfect *Kismet* of TiME + TOPiC, Canada's WWII response is an intriguing real-life model by which to analyze, assess, compare, inspire & ultimately mobilize Canadians to get on with the urgent task at hand: winning the 'good war', i.e. Climate ACTION (caps mine)
This book is full of myth-busting bombs about Canada's global contributions - then (WWII) & now (our Climate response) - & masterfully weaves facts & quotes & stats throughout to present a sobering wake-up 'call to arms' for all Canadians. Klein's powerful thesis (that Canada CAN mobilize all sectors to effectively organize Climate action, because we've done it before - to help win a war) gains significant heft by extensive research that backs the facts & lays them clearly on the table, & in our hands...
Thankfully, Klein wastes no time trying to argue/ convince 'denialists' of the pro's & con's of Climate science: From the start, we're brought up to speed with where we need to be on this urgent issue, which is WHERE THE SCIENCE IS (of course). And that's where Canada's approach has so far stalled/ died from disuse (after our own PM called this crisis what it is: an 'EMERGENCY'!!?)
Next day, PM Trudeau bought a pipeline..
* * *
WWII war measures contrast glaringly against today's 2 most depressingly obvious barriers to Climate progress: Government, & News media. In these, the difference between action & pretense - then & now - exposes our top cultural institutions as woefully inadequate - if not inept... & poss even (like BigOil's ubiquitous lobbyists) evil saboteurs purposely BLOCKING all advances/chances..
The book's interwoven comparisons between war-time politics/ reporting VS. today's ineffectual mainstream milquetoast denialism put current 'leaders' in both realms to shame. As quoted from page 82:
"The good news is that answers exist for all these questions... Of course, all the best information, the clearest answers and the most compelling vision means nothing if people aren't aware of them."
Case in point: Canada has yet to plan the critical changes Govts & MSM MUST MAKE in order to align with the Science that's become lost behind all the BS- which is so prevalent now, both sectors seem to run on 'Spin' alone while advancing SCANT SUBSTANCE (I doubt these traitorous louts woulda led us to WWII victory!)
There's enough here to dismiss/ indict our Govt's entire 'raison-d'etre' - but maybe that's the brutal truth of WHO we're really up against: the bosses with the unearned power to decide if we succeed or fail (the latter looking likeliest)/ lying media/ both
* * *
Despair/ frustration/ helplessness aside, this book could be the ideal tool for educators to attain 2 goals in one: ie. invaluable teaching on both topics (WWII & Climate crisis) But as Klein points out, THAT's a pipedream marred by Big Industry's interfering power even in our schools (EG. inculcating kids with last-century ecocidal development/ extraction economics - the same systemic M.Os which Science pinpoints as THE key culprits of anthropogenic climate crisis!!?)
I.E. Seems our Govts have regressed to their colonial roots, when democracy meant locking away all those (indigenous) who saw firsthand their forest-raping, land-stealing, poisoning, polluting truths.. & forcing their kids into 'Residential Schools' to get them on the same gravy train as the rest of us... Now that the Science is OUT, they're siding with corporate climate-wreckers/ profiteers (=THE ENEMY!?) while pretending to uphold their democratic duty.
Prob is, most Cdns are too comfy/ complicit to care or notice - JUST AS most Germans 'went along with' Nazi BS b4 it blew up in their faces. But they paid for their inaction!
Will we end up paying for ours?
* * *
Suffice to say, A Good War is a must-read for getting up-to-speed on where we've been, where we're at, & where we're going with Climate action: Without any doubt, we're falling well short of 'gettin' 'er done'..
August 13, 2021
If anyone else dances the line of despair and hope about climate crisis like I do, this book offers a clear, albeit difficult, path ahead. Humans made this system, we can re make a new one.
There was some glossing over of agriculture and how the prairies respond and restructure to carbon zero. As well as simplifying and underestimating the impact of UNDRIP. But all in all, a book everyone should read this year.
There was some glossing over of agriculture and how the prairies respond and restructure to carbon zero. As well as simplifying and underestimating the impact of UNDRIP. But all in all, a book everyone should read this year.
May 19, 2020
An important and timely book.
March 18, 2023
This is essential reading for Canadians, and notably British Columbians , where Seth Klein is based (also considering how the Trans Mountain Pipeline is also based here..)
Seth Klein’s name may sound familiar and it’s because he’s the brother of Naomi Klein. Incredibly inspiring siblings who I appreciate for speaking out so much on the climate emergency and encouraging us to mobilize for change.
The Good War is titled as such because Klein proposes to treat the climate crisis as the emergency that it is and mobilize our national resources, government, and collectivization efforts in a war against it, much akin to how we did exactly so in World War II. He offers something that is rare these days—HOPE, and an extremely detailed roadmap for how we can get there, if we take the action. He also added in an Epilogue on the COVID pandemic how this proves our federal government does indeed have the capability of ambitious action in the face of an emergency. There is such a wealth of information packed within these pages along with real summarized history of our wartime efforts to indicate that—HEY, we did this before, why can’t we do this again? (I actually learned so much Canadian history from this, thank you Mr Klein). We are wasting so much precious time pandering back and forth between political parties and climate change deniers when people are already suffering right now (i.e.: displaced populations due to climate disasters). It is evident how much time Klein has taken to thoroughly research for this book and deliver it to us in a very systemically organized fashion.
I’d also highly recommend this book to policy & politics nerds for it delineates exactly the steps we must undertake to meet our climate goals. It is embarrassing to see the data laid out on how far behind we are on meeting these goals..and in fact moving backwards despite what the politicians may tell you. Klein calls out our leaders and political parties on their inactions, their timid shuffling of feet, and not ‘walking the talk’. He also notably dedicates ample writing to ensure the voices of our Indigenous population are centred and involved.
If you enjoy science meeting history meeting equitable policy, this one is for you. Be the change! (Lowkey want to gift this to my MP, but that’s Jagmeet Singh..)
Seth Klein’s name may sound familiar and it’s because he’s the brother of Naomi Klein. Incredibly inspiring siblings who I appreciate for speaking out so much on the climate emergency and encouraging us to mobilize for change.
The Good War is titled as such because Klein proposes to treat the climate crisis as the emergency that it is and mobilize our national resources, government, and collectivization efforts in a war against it, much akin to how we did exactly so in World War II. He offers something that is rare these days—HOPE, and an extremely detailed roadmap for how we can get there, if we take the action. He also added in an Epilogue on the COVID pandemic how this proves our federal government does indeed have the capability of ambitious action in the face of an emergency. There is such a wealth of information packed within these pages along with real summarized history of our wartime efforts to indicate that—HEY, we did this before, why can’t we do this again? (I actually learned so much Canadian history from this, thank you Mr Klein). We are wasting so much precious time pandering back and forth between political parties and climate change deniers when people are already suffering right now (i.e.: displaced populations due to climate disasters). It is evident how much time Klein has taken to thoroughly research for this book and deliver it to us in a very systemically organized fashion.
I’d also highly recommend this book to policy & politics nerds for it delineates exactly the steps we must undertake to meet our climate goals. It is embarrassing to see the data laid out on how far behind we are on meeting these goals..and in fact moving backwards despite what the politicians may tell you. Klein calls out our leaders and political parties on their inactions, their timid shuffling of feet, and not ‘walking the talk’. He also notably dedicates ample writing to ensure the voices of our Indigenous population are centred and involved.
If you enjoy science meeting history meeting equitable policy, this one is for you. Be the change! (Lowkey want to gift this to my MP, but that’s Jagmeet Singh..)
Read
September 24, 2020Review by Robert Hackett:
This is the book every climate-concerned Canadian has been waiting for. Seth Klein's A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency extends the political imagination, not through utopian speculation, but through an engaging analysis of state policy, both current and historical.
Klein finds that, when it comes to addressing an existential emergency, Canada has already risen to the challenge. Canada retooled the entire economy around shared objectives with remarkable efficiency, helping supercharge the Allied effort to defeat fascism in the Second World War.
Keep reading: https://rabble.ca/books/reviews/2020/...
This is the book every climate-concerned Canadian has been waiting for. Seth Klein's A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency extends the political imagination, not through utopian speculation, but through an engaging analysis of state policy, both current and historical.
Klein finds that, when it comes to addressing an existential emergency, Canada has already risen to the challenge. Canada retooled the entire economy around shared objectives with remarkable efficiency, helping supercharge the Allied effort to defeat fascism in the Second World War.
Keep reading: https://rabble.ca/books/reviews/2020/...
December 28, 2023
Rarely does a book both provide a detailed overview of what needs to be done and why, with detailed descriptions of policy programs and ideas, and make it interesting and fun to read while discussing such a dire topic. A Good War is perhaps the most important book related to Canadian policy written in the last 10-20 years, if you have even the slightest interest in climate policy you need to read it
November 22, 2021
An urgent call and roadmap that is engaging and enjoyable to read. The historical lessons are well told and placed in context for today’s monumental emergency. The book closes on the razor’s edge of hope and despair, and the comforting note that we feel and know both. I left the book feeling both, but appreciating this as a source of hope and action.
January 21, 2022
Compelling analysis of government actions during WWII and comparisons to today's climate crisis. Pointed out things that worked well, actions (or inactions) Canada's government took that shouldn't be repeated. Some are very lofty suggestions, but the great bulk of the book, given enough traction, sound feasible given the urgency.
February 8, 2021
Essential reading. We have the blueprints for action...today
Read
January 16, 2024Dnf, read about 100 pages and skimmed the rest.
October 2, 2021
Can’t recommend this enough. What an inspiring roadmap for the coming years and decades.
Read
December 8, 2021I’d really recommend this! Real policy recommendations and a very positive perspective on our ability to rise up and take action against cute climate emergency.
March 18, 2021
~~Climate book #122~~
This could have been a four-star book.
It is extensively researched, well-written, and makes a compelling argument. The WWII framing isn't new, for climate workers--I've had debates and discussions on the usefulness of a war framing for many years of my decades-long career--and I thought I knew all the pros and cons. But in the course of this nearly-400 page book, Klein shows in (sometimes exhausting) detail where the analogies are useful and where they fall short, and what lessons we can take from our last major war and apply to the climate emergency to good effect. I was particularly impressed with the information and arguments towards the front of the book on the public messaging WWII era politicians undertook to build public support for the incredible work and sacrifices involved, and the long-term planning that went towards convincing Canadians that this sacrifice would then merit employment and income guarantees afterwards.
I also appreciated that the book overall was non-partisan, focused on the science and the lessons of history and not openly advocating for any particular electoral party. That is a refreshing change. Like Klein, I too tire of the Greens & NDP taking potshots at each other for narrow political gain, when we need more representatives of both at all levels of government.
I also appreciated Klein's focus on social justice and tackling inequality as central to building a coalition large enough to get the needed momentum and support the kinds of transformative policies and programs we need. Totally agree.
But this too is sadly where it fell apart for me. You probably see this coming: disabled people were almost entirely ignored. There was one mention in an early chapter about the necessity of funding for home care for disabled Canadians--literally, just a part of one sentence--and that was it.
But of course, disabled people are hugely vulnerable to climate change, and more importantly, have important knowledge and resilience from lessons learned living in a physical environment that is literally hostile to you and your welfare. And, relevantly to the book's topic, disabled people were also targets of the Nazi regime, being sent to death camps by the thousands and used for medical experimentation. Canada, too, implemented eugenics in a number of Canadian provinces; two such laws were only taken off the books in the 1970s. Just as anti-semitism by the Nazis was reflected by anti-semitism in Canada that led to the rejection of refugees that Klein describes, and just as we can learn from that crime how better to take care of each other while tackling the climate crisis, the Nazis' eugenics were reflected in Canadian eugenics, and there are lessons that could be taken and applied to climate work going forward. Most importantly, seeing the existence of disabled people in their numbers; and secondly, recognizing that disabled Canadians have interests and needs far beyond fully funded home care (or other programs etc. based on a vision of disabled people defined by their dependency). I mean, that's important for those who need it, but it reflects a pretty small proportion of disabled Canadians overall. Disabled people are not just a wholly dependent population with easily defined single needs and nothing to contribute!
Imagine this, for instance: carbon modelling shows that nearly 100% of existing housing stock in Canada will need to be retrofitted to dramatically reduce carbon emissions and meet net-zero targets by 2050. Simultaneously, the vast majority of housing stock in Canada is completely inaccessible, and what is accessible and livable is often unaffordable. Huge numbers of disabled Canadians live in housing that does not meet their physical needs. It looks like there should be opportunities to pair up these retrofit needs, making housing more accessible and less carbon-emitting at the same time, meeting both livability needs and climate goals (and creating jobs, too).
But I haven't seen anyone talking about this yet, and what I fear is that as we tackle the needed carbon retrofit process, we'll be locked in to inaccessible housing with no more funds to spare for human rights needs for another 50 or 100 years.
On the whole, I recommend the book, particularly for Canadians (and particularly particularly for Canadians who are tired of climate books written by Americans putatively for a global audience but really just for fellow Americans). Klein makes a good case for the overall framing, and recommends a good package of policies and programs that would eliminate carbon.
But as you know, I knock off a star for books that ignore or dehumanize people like my kid, so: 3 stars.
This could have been a four-star book.
It is extensively researched, well-written, and makes a compelling argument. The WWII framing isn't new, for climate workers--I've had debates and discussions on the usefulness of a war framing for many years of my decades-long career--and I thought I knew all the pros and cons. But in the course of this nearly-400 page book, Klein shows in (sometimes exhausting) detail where the analogies are useful and where they fall short, and what lessons we can take from our last major war and apply to the climate emergency to good effect. I was particularly impressed with the information and arguments towards the front of the book on the public messaging WWII era politicians undertook to build public support for the incredible work and sacrifices involved, and the long-term planning that went towards convincing Canadians that this sacrifice would then merit employment and income guarantees afterwards.
I also appreciated that the book overall was non-partisan, focused on the science and the lessons of history and not openly advocating for any particular electoral party. That is a refreshing change. Like Klein, I too tire of the Greens & NDP taking potshots at each other for narrow political gain, when we need more representatives of both at all levels of government.
I also appreciated Klein's focus on social justice and tackling inequality as central to building a coalition large enough to get the needed momentum and support the kinds of transformative policies and programs we need. Totally agree.
But this too is sadly where it fell apart for me. You probably see this coming: disabled people were almost entirely ignored. There was one mention in an early chapter about the necessity of funding for home care for disabled Canadians--literally, just a part of one sentence--and that was it.
But of course, disabled people are hugely vulnerable to climate change, and more importantly, have important knowledge and resilience from lessons learned living in a physical environment that is literally hostile to you and your welfare. And, relevantly to the book's topic, disabled people were also targets of the Nazi regime, being sent to death camps by the thousands and used for medical experimentation. Canada, too, implemented eugenics in a number of Canadian provinces; two such laws were only taken off the books in the 1970s. Just as anti-semitism by the Nazis was reflected by anti-semitism in Canada that led to the rejection of refugees that Klein describes, and just as we can learn from that crime how better to take care of each other while tackling the climate crisis, the Nazis' eugenics were reflected in Canadian eugenics, and there are lessons that could be taken and applied to climate work going forward. Most importantly, seeing the existence of disabled people in their numbers; and secondly, recognizing that disabled Canadians have interests and needs far beyond fully funded home care (or other programs etc. based on a vision of disabled people defined by their dependency). I mean, that's important for those who need it, but it reflects a pretty small proportion of disabled Canadians overall. Disabled people are not just a wholly dependent population with easily defined single needs and nothing to contribute!
Imagine this, for instance: carbon modelling shows that nearly 100% of existing housing stock in Canada will need to be retrofitted to dramatically reduce carbon emissions and meet net-zero targets by 2050. Simultaneously, the vast majority of housing stock in Canada is completely inaccessible, and what is accessible and livable is often unaffordable. Huge numbers of disabled Canadians live in housing that does not meet their physical needs. It looks like there should be opportunities to pair up these retrofit needs, making housing more accessible and less carbon-emitting at the same time, meeting both livability needs and climate goals (and creating jobs, too).
But I haven't seen anyone talking about this yet, and what I fear is that as we tackle the needed carbon retrofit process, we'll be locked in to inaccessible housing with no more funds to spare for human rights needs for another 50 or 100 years.
On the whole, I recommend the book, particularly for Canadians (and particularly particularly for Canadians who are tired of climate books written by Americans putatively for a global audience but really just for fellow Americans). Klein makes a good case for the overall framing, and recommends a good package of policies and programs that would eliminate carbon.
But as you know, I knock off a star for books that ignore or dehumanize people like my kid, so: 3 stars.
September 1, 2021
Excellent read. Very helpful framework that outlines the ways government could take decisive action to improve our impact on the climate based on what government was willing and able to do during WWII.
August 6, 2020
A Good War by Seth Klein
This book was written just before the world changed. In March and April we saw the World – mother Earth, Gaia, Mother Nature, quickly start to heal itself as human activity was greatly curtailed. .
Why? We were not driving to work. We still needed to heat our homes, and keep our offices from freezing, but we were not driving to work.
Two lessons:
1. Dressing warmer in cold clients saves heat
2. Driving causes damage to the environment
Solution?
Dress warmer; drive less.
Easier said than done but not impossible.
Instead of declaring war on the oil industry in general and the North American one in particular, why not make them allies in the fight against climate change?
You don’t have to believe in climate change or global warming or globalism to know that pollution affects the environment, and the environment affects our lives – health, wealth and well being. Respecting the environment is not an indigenous matter, nor is it only for anti-globalists, nor is it an ecologist issue: it is an everyone issue. Who does want better health for themselves and their loved ones? Please do not waste your breathe to the exception to this truism, for I am sure it is a 4 9 or higher (99.99%)
So how do we get there?
First we have to decide the goal; then we have to decide the measuring criteria, then we have to adopt policies that will encourage us to do more with less.
Two examples:
• Driving to hockey
• Burning garbage
The first is good right?
The second is bad right?
What if I told you that greenish Sweden burns their trash to create energy – better than using coal or gas. Less than one percent of household waste finds its way to landfills. This is much better for the environment that burying trash and letting fumes escape into the air and leaching of chemicals into the soil.
Another example: why disparage the oil and gas industry when we are going to need them for the next 20, 30 or 40 years. Why not Canadian Ethical Oil versus the unsavoury sort from the Saudis, Venezuela, Iran, Russians (or Trump supporting states)? Oil corrupts.
We have seen it fangs on Canadian politics as well. The world is addicted to it and the pushers fight for territory. Perhaps OPEC is pushing the message of ‘dirty tar sand oil’. Our political leaders have been too blind, polite or Canadian to answer back – OH YEAH!
Instead we fight about pipelines. Without really explaining the costs and the benefits. Until recently, we heard rumblings of Separation from Alberta. Would that get their pipelines built any faster? Really?
Yes, we should sell Canadian Oil. For three reasons:
1. The world needs oil and it will buy it from somewhere so it might as well be ours
2. The world needs ethical oil and clean air – so how about we planted x trees (for instance 10) for every barrel of oil that we extracted. Think about that. We would have the cleanest oil in the world and the rest of world would may even scramble to catch up
3. If we make money from our oil we could fund 2 and help develop clean energy sources
Moore’s Law, the principle that the speed and capability of computers can be expected to double every two years, as a result of increases in the number of transistors a microchip can contain. What does Moore’s Law have to do with the environment?
Now it might not be a perfect fit – what is – but applying the thought process of Moore’s Law to solar energy and you can start to see the future. You need to look and measure the right inputs and outputs for instance the price per Watt of solar modules (not counting installation) dropped from $22 dollars in 1980 down to under $3 in 2011. What if we had a concerted effort in this area? Yes we could see tremendous innovation and great increases in effectiveness.
And as to driving to hockey being bad, it would not have to be if we used electric cars to get people to hockey. That simple change would make the world cleaner.
The book
Yes this is a review of A Good War
The reality is that A Good Peace is even better than a good war.
War implies destruction. We think creation is necessary.
The book is right that there needs to be a fundamental shift in our thinking;
The book is right that there needs to be a innovative and socially driven solutions that cannot be left only to profit motivators;
The book is right that we saw those things during World War II and Canada ended up a better place afterwards.
But we do not need the death nor the destruction, and we do not need Alberta to become a Stalingrad.
We can use the lessons of the war and the subsequent peace to build a better tomorrow.
Burning garbage can become good.
Ten cents. 10 cents a month, cumulative for 40 months until gas approaches $5 a litre. This time of announcement – that could start in 2021 would have a fundamental shift on how Canadians see and use their cars. All the parties would not agree to this – in fact who would like to pay 2, 3, 4 or 5 dollars for a litre of gas? There will have to be give and take – for instance higher rebates in the form of GST refunds, rebates and loans for desired transportation methods.
• E car acquisition loans
• E car acquisition waving of sales tax
• Public transportation that is reduced in price – and perhaps driverless
• Guaranteed income support vis a vis the GST payments that compensate individuals while the transition occurs
• Guaranteed loan programs for those buying e cars
More innovative solutions!
The book is important; the book is timely; the book is wrong in wanting a war time approach but the book is definitely worth a read and many a discussion.
Make your politicians aware of this need today, tomorrow and at every election at every level until we have a plan that puts Canada in a leadership role in salvaging our world.
Fear not to read this book with an open and hopeful mind, for while you may suspect some of the science, there is no denying that people have an effect on nature. Have great hope in the ingenuity of people. Have great hope in the resilience and recuperative abilities of nature. While this well runs deep there are limits. Why push it to those limits?
Thank you Mr Klein.
Lino P Matteo, August 6, 2020 A Good War by Seth Klein, 2020
PS if you are interested message me as I have more notes on how to win the Climate Peace
This book was written just before the world changed. In March and April we saw the World – mother Earth, Gaia, Mother Nature, quickly start to heal itself as human activity was greatly curtailed. .
Why? We were not driving to work. We still needed to heat our homes, and keep our offices from freezing, but we were not driving to work.
Two lessons:
1. Dressing warmer in cold clients saves heat
2. Driving causes damage to the environment
Solution?
Dress warmer; drive less.
Easier said than done but not impossible.
Instead of declaring war on the oil industry in general and the North American one in particular, why not make them allies in the fight against climate change?
You don’t have to believe in climate change or global warming or globalism to know that pollution affects the environment, and the environment affects our lives – health, wealth and well being. Respecting the environment is not an indigenous matter, nor is it only for anti-globalists, nor is it an ecologist issue: it is an everyone issue. Who does want better health for themselves and their loved ones? Please do not waste your breathe to the exception to this truism, for I am sure it is a 4 9 or higher (99.99%)
So how do we get there?
First we have to decide the goal; then we have to decide the measuring criteria, then we have to adopt policies that will encourage us to do more with less.
Two examples:
• Driving to hockey
• Burning garbage
The first is good right?
The second is bad right?
What if I told you that greenish Sweden burns their trash to create energy – better than using coal or gas. Less than one percent of household waste finds its way to landfills. This is much better for the environment that burying trash and letting fumes escape into the air and leaching of chemicals into the soil.
Another example: why disparage the oil and gas industry when we are going to need them for the next 20, 30 or 40 years. Why not Canadian Ethical Oil versus the unsavoury sort from the Saudis, Venezuela, Iran, Russians (or Trump supporting states)? Oil corrupts.
We have seen it fangs on Canadian politics as well. The world is addicted to it and the pushers fight for territory. Perhaps OPEC is pushing the message of ‘dirty tar sand oil’. Our political leaders have been too blind, polite or Canadian to answer back – OH YEAH!
Instead we fight about pipelines. Without really explaining the costs and the benefits. Until recently, we heard rumblings of Separation from Alberta. Would that get their pipelines built any faster? Really?
Yes, we should sell Canadian Oil. For three reasons:
1. The world needs oil and it will buy it from somewhere so it might as well be ours
2. The world needs ethical oil and clean air – so how about we planted x trees (for instance 10) for every barrel of oil that we extracted. Think about that. We would have the cleanest oil in the world and the rest of world would may even scramble to catch up
3. If we make money from our oil we could fund 2 and help develop clean energy sources
Moore’s Law, the principle that the speed and capability of computers can be expected to double every two years, as a result of increases in the number of transistors a microchip can contain. What does Moore’s Law have to do with the environment?
Now it might not be a perfect fit – what is – but applying the thought process of Moore’s Law to solar energy and you can start to see the future. You need to look and measure the right inputs and outputs for instance the price per Watt of solar modules (not counting installation) dropped from $22 dollars in 1980 down to under $3 in 2011. What if we had a concerted effort in this area? Yes we could see tremendous innovation and great increases in effectiveness.
And as to driving to hockey being bad, it would not have to be if we used electric cars to get people to hockey. That simple change would make the world cleaner.
The book
Yes this is a review of A Good War
The reality is that A Good Peace is even better than a good war.
War implies destruction. We think creation is necessary.
The book is right that there needs to be a fundamental shift in our thinking;
The book is right that there needs to be a innovative and socially driven solutions that cannot be left only to profit motivators;
The book is right that we saw those things during World War II and Canada ended up a better place afterwards.
But we do not need the death nor the destruction, and we do not need Alberta to become a Stalingrad.
We can use the lessons of the war and the subsequent peace to build a better tomorrow.
Burning garbage can become good.
Ten cents. 10 cents a month, cumulative for 40 months until gas approaches $5 a litre. This time of announcement – that could start in 2021 would have a fundamental shift on how Canadians see and use their cars. All the parties would not agree to this – in fact who would like to pay 2, 3, 4 or 5 dollars for a litre of gas? There will have to be give and take – for instance higher rebates in the form of GST refunds, rebates and loans for desired transportation methods.
• E car acquisition loans
• E car acquisition waving of sales tax
• Public transportation that is reduced in price – and perhaps driverless
• Guaranteed income support vis a vis the GST payments that compensate individuals while the transition occurs
• Guaranteed loan programs for those buying e cars
More innovative solutions!
The book is important; the book is timely; the book is wrong in wanting a war time approach but the book is definitely worth a read and many a discussion.
Make your politicians aware of this need today, tomorrow and at every election at every level until we have a plan that puts Canada in a leadership role in salvaging our world.
Fear not to read this book with an open and hopeful mind, for while you may suspect some of the science, there is no denying that people have an effect on nature. Have great hope in the ingenuity of people. Have great hope in the resilience and recuperative abilities of nature. While this well runs deep there are limits. Why push it to those limits?
Thank you Mr Klein.
Lino P Matteo, August 6, 2020 A Good War by Seth Klein, 2020
PS if you are interested message me as I have more notes on how to win the Climate Peace
Read
August 11, 2024I borrowed A Good War from a friend, who had read it as part of their master's in political science. I can only hope that the professor had ensured the students had sufficient background in economics, policy, and conflicting groups of thought to perform a critical reading of A Good War. As an engineer, I don't have a background in economics or policy or in what others are saying regarding the various transition pathways to a carbon-zero future. As a nuclear engineer, I hear a lot of nuclear-centric policies regarding the transition to a carbon-zero future. Part of picking up A Good War was to read about climate policy in Canada from a non-nuclear perspective, but Klein didn't have the well-rounded and multi-faceted discussion I was hoping for.
I was hoping for a serious discussion regarding various pathways to decarbonization in A Good War. I could tell that Klein was operating on a base set of assumptions regarding his preferred method of government, policy, and fiscal spending. Not being familiar with the field, I had to take what Klein proposed in various chapters with a grain of salt. Some of his base assumptions I know are contentious - and with other groups of thought proposing alternative pathways. Klein did not actively engage with other groups of thought throughout the book to convince me, a reader interested in climate policy, that Klein's proposed pathways were correct. I raised my eyebrows in a number of chapters as my understanding of some of Klein's proposals wouldn't be legally possible and were only possible in World War II because of the lack of citizen rights under the War Measures Act, something Klein says he is not eager to see repeated.
The only chapter I had technical backing to evaluate was Chapter 6: Remaking the Economy, Then and Now. This is where Klein proposes the technological changes required for a zero-carbon future and this chapter had some serious problems. On pg 201 (of the paperback), Klein advocates for "the decommissioning of abandoned oil and gas wells and mines". Mining is currently considered in the same category as oil and gas in the Environment and Climate Change carbon emission statistics, making it difficult to evaluate the impact of the sector. However, throughout A Good War, Klein advocates for electrification of public transit, ferries, and planes which will not be possible without mining. This, along with other inconsistencies that I noticed in the book, made me question the whole of the book and Klein's proposed pathway to decarbonization.
I did read some interesting ideas in A Good War. I was excited to learn about the ABC of Victory Gardens , a US WWII publication designed to teach individuals how to grow the easiest, most nutrient dense crops with the least space requirements. I really like the idea of carbon rationing, and having that being reflected such that products purchased locally are cheaper than those shipped from outside of the community. Learning about the historical government-imposed profit and price controls in WWII, the (temporary) implementation of public childcare, and the size of the transition efforts for the returning veterans provides me with useful historical context in face of the argument "but we can't".
Although I enjoyed aspects, I cannot recommend Klein's book, as these aspects do not outweigh the negatives. Klein is speaking to a very specific audience, who already believes his points, and ignoring audiences who come from other political, economic, social, and educational backgrounds. The vast majority of Klein's proposed transition pathways to decarbonization reflect a Vancouver climate with no discussion regarding rural areas of Canada, or areas that do not have a temperate climate. A Good War was written in an echo chamber and we do not need more people speaking in echo chambers if we are to get things done. Holding up Klein's proposed technological changes to rural Canadians, where it gets cold, with no discussion of unique needs will result in a stalled climate plan. We don't need another stalled climate plan.
I was hoping for a serious discussion regarding various pathways to decarbonization in A Good War. I could tell that Klein was operating on a base set of assumptions regarding his preferred method of government, policy, and fiscal spending. Not being familiar with the field, I had to take what Klein proposed in various chapters with a grain of salt. Some of his base assumptions I know are contentious - and with other groups of thought proposing alternative pathways. Klein did not actively engage with other groups of thought throughout the book to convince me, a reader interested in climate policy, that Klein's proposed pathways were correct. I raised my eyebrows in a number of chapters as my understanding of some of Klein's proposals wouldn't be legally possible and were only possible in World War II because of the lack of citizen rights under the War Measures Act, something Klein says he is not eager to see repeated.
The only chapter I had technical backing to evaluate was Chapter 6: Remaking the Economy, Then and Now. This is where Klein proposes the technological changes required for a zero-carbon future and this chapter had some serious problems. On pg 201 (of the paperback), Klein advocates for "the decommissioning of abandoned oil and gas wells and mines". Mining is currently considered in the same category as oil and gas in the Environment and Climate Change carbon emission statistics, making it difficult to evaluate the impact of the sector. However, throughout A Good War, Klein advocates for electrification of public transit, ferries, and planes which will not be possible without mining. This, along with other inconsistencies that I noticed in the book, made me question the whole of the book and Klein's proposed pathway to decarbonization.
I did read some interesting ideas in A Good War. I was excited to learn about the ABC of Victory Gardens , a US WWII publication designed to teach individuals how to grow the easiest, most nutrient dense crops with the least space requirements. I really like the idea of carbon rationing, and having that being reflected such that products purchased locally are cheaper than those shipped from outside of the community. Learning about the historical government-imposed profit and price controls in WWII, the (temporary) implementation of public childcare, and the size of the transition efforts for the returning veterans provides me with useful historical context in face of the argument "but we can't".
Although I enjoyed aspects, I cannot recommend Klein's book, as these aspects do not outweigh the negatives. Klein is speaking to a very specific audience, who already believes his points, and ignoring audiences who come from other political, economic, social, and educational backgrounds. The vast majority of Klein's proposed transition pathways to decarbonization reflect a Vancouver climate with no discussion regarding rural areas of Canada, or areas that do not have a temperate climate. A Good War was written in an echo chamber and we do not need more people speaking in echo chambers if we are to get things done. Holding up Klein's proposed technological changes to rural Canadians, where it gets cold, with no discussion of unique needs will result in a stalled climate plan. We don't need another stalled climate plan.
April 2, 2022
If the concept of treating the climate crisis like WWII appeals to me, a zillennial, who slept through half the classes on the war in high school, then imagine how good it'll work for the older generations. This is some top-tier climate propaganda. WWII-style mobilization is now how I'm gonna describe it to people on the fence. let's absolutely go
(too long and repetitive though)
(too long and repetitive though)
January 16, 2023
A Good War, Seth Klein's master plan for tackling the climate emergency on a national level, was unlike anything I'd ever read before. It was a manifesto - unlike many other, more tragic books about the crisis, this one commands people into action. It keeps politicians and industry owners accountable for their actions by doing one simple thing: laying out the facts. It presented its argument in an urgent and logical manner. Between polls that Klein commissioned to understand the mindset of the general public to research he draws on from his 20 years' work at the CCPA, this book is chock-full of information. While it can occasionally be hard to digest (let's just say it doesn't make great bedtime reading), the terrible events of the past 10 years are accompanied with Klein's insistence that there is reason to be hopeful. The message? We need to mobilize and fight this thing.
My favourite thing about this book was the approach Klein took. He managed to dig deep into the weeds of our political landscape - through unreasonable bureaucracy, stoppers to action, and what he calls the 'new climate denialism' - while also lacing it with understanding on a human level the effects combating the climate crisis might have on the poor. With this framework in mind he considers policies that align with the science, but also with the humanitarian cost of tackling the crisis. He considers what the government can do to push these policies on their way: where is the climate crisis advertising, for one, something that didn't occur to me as an obvious shortcoming until I read the book. Lastly, he discusses leadership; what it means to be a good leader, what types of leaders we need right now, and how we must give them a platform on which to speak.
I enjoyed most everything about this book. My one tiny itch would be that it was just a very confusing read - this is to be expected, as the climate crisis in its current state is a very complex one. However, I often had to reread sections two or three times to understand the meaning behind it. If that doesn't work for you, I don't think this book belongs in your hands, unfortunately, which someone like Klein might consider a problem given how widespread his message needs to be to fight for the planet. Indeed, this book belongs in the hands of those who can take a challenge and burst through it, because Klein knows we need people like you to solve this growing problem:
"Many politicians I interviewed for this book say they get the climate emergency, But they are not leading like this is indeed an emergency. They have not surrounded themselves with people who act and plan like this is an emergency. The leaders we remember from the Second World War led like it was a damn emergency. It is an emergency. And so, to our current political leaders, a final message: like the leaders who saw our country through the war, the climate crisis is your generational mission, your defining challenge. It will determine if and how you will be remembered. The climate emergency, like the peril we faced before, is a direct threat to our security and well-being, which you are entrusted to protect. Be the leaders we need you to be."
The climate crisis will mean unprecedented change in the next half-century. People all over the world will be ravaged by natural disasters and extreme temperatures. We need an economic restructuring. We need a good war.
My favourite thing about this book was the approach Klein took. He managed to dig deep into the weeds of our political landscape - through unreasonable bureaucracy, stoppers to action, and what he calls the 'new climate denialism' - while also lacing it with understanding on a human level the effects combating the climate crisis might have on the poor. With this framework in mind he considers policies that align with the science, but also with the humanitarian cost of tackling the crisis. He considers what the government can do to push these policies on their way: where is the climate crisis advertising, for one, something that didn't occur to me as an obvious shortcoming until I read the book. Lastly, he discusses leadership; what it means to be a good leader, what types of leaders we need right now, and how we must give them a platform on which to speak.
I enjoyed most everything about this book. My one tiny itch would be that it was just a very confusing read - this is to be expected, as the climate crisis in its current state is a very complex one. However, I often had to reread sections two or three times to understand the meaning behind it. If that doesn't work for you, I don't think this book belongs in your hands, unfortunately, which someone like Klein might consider a problem given how widespread his message needs to be to fight for the planet. Indeed, this book belongs in the hands of those who can take a challenge and burst through it, because Klein knows we need people like you to solve this growing problem:
"Many politicians I interviewed for this book say they get the climate emergency, But they are not leading like this is indeed an emergency. They have not surrounded themselves with people who act and plan like this is an emergency. The leaders we remember from the Second World War led like it was a damn emergency. It is an emergency. And so, to our current political leaders, a final message: like the leaders who saw our country through the war, the climate crisis is your generational mission, your defining challenge. It will determine if and how you will be remembered. The climate emergency, like the peril we faced before, is a direct threat to our security and well-being, which you are entrusted to protect. Be the leaders we need you to be."
The climate crisis will mean unprecedented change in the next half-century. People all over the world will be ravaged by natural disasters and extreme temperatures. We need an economic restructuring. We need a good war.
January 24, 2021
Here’s what you need to know:
You can do better - read Noam Chomsky and Michael Pollin’s new book “The Climate Crisis and the Global Green New Deal: The Political Economy of Saving the Planet.” It’s a short book, written by smarter authors, and it says more. Then, if you still want to, read A Good War for the historical and current Canadian Context. But watch out for A Good War’s unrealistic socialist political agenda. I know, it’s ironic to recommend Chomsky as a counterpoint to rabid socialism but the Chomsky / Pollin version is thought out and realistic. Neither book is an in depth textbook, but rather an introduction to two versions of global warming solutions that are partly enabled through societal reform.
The Good:
Klein’s narrative of effective government action (no that’s not an oxymoron) during WW2 is well articulated and inspiring. Klein also provides a good analysis of why we are too slow to act on climate change. This book’s Canadian perspective really brings it home for Canadian readers. It makes you think. And dream.
The Bad:
This book’s real purpose seems to be popularizing Klein’s own political agenda, and it reads like a socialist manifesto. It details a plan to redistribute enormous amounts of wealth to those who feel disadvantaged, then get it back through taxation or just live with the staggering debt. Klein sees this as a self-evident foundation for climate change action. But this exaggerated version of a Green New Deal, generous domestically while virtually ignoring those world citizens abroad who will really be the ones suffering from climate change, seems like vote buying.
Yes, coming out of the 1930s depression and into WW2 social programs and unions were badly needed. But that was then and this is now. These principles are still important but our general wellbeing has significantly improved, so throwing enormous sums of money at special interest groups who are not disadvantaged now like they were in the 1930s and 40s at the expense of ordinary Canadians seems misled. If we were to follow Klein’s blueprint we would have to face the worst consequences of global warming as a bankrupt nation. In the end Klein’s plan disadvantages us all
Klein’s background is a promoter of far-left political ideology, not the science or practical aspects of global warming. Unfortunately this shows. For example, there are various factual errors, almost no discussion on regenerative agriculture (which is a real winner for a highly agricultural Canada), and he does not mention that his beloved city and province are North America’s biggest coal exporter (shame).
Perhaps what bothered me most about this book are the potential consequences of speaking out with such an obviously flawed plan for climate change mobilization. A plan like this invites doubt and opposition, which could stiffen the headwind against the noble goal of fixing global warming. Klein does this for the sake of greenwashing his own peculiar political agenda.
You can do better - read Noam Chomsky and Michael Pollin’s new book “The Climate Crisis and the Global Green New Deal: The Political Economy of Saving the Planet.” It’s a short book, written by smarter authors, and it says more. Then, if you still want to, read A Good War for the historical and current Canadian Context. But watch out for A Good War’s unrealistic socialist political agenda. I know, it’s ironic to recommend Chomsky as a counterpoint to rabid socialism but the Chomsky / Pollin version is thought out and realistic. Neither book is an in depth textbook, but rather an introduction to two versions of global warming solutions that are partly enabled through societal reform.
The Good:
Klein’s narrative of effective government action (no that’s not an oxymoron) during WW2 is well articulated and inspiring. Klein also provides a good analysis of why we are too slow to act on climate change. This book’s Canadian perspective really brings it home for Canadian readers. It makes you think. And dream.
The Bad:
This book’s real purpose seems to be popularizing Klein’s own political agenda, and it reads like a socialist manifesto. It details a plan to redistribute enormous amounts of wealth to those who feel disadvantaged, then get it back through taxation or just live with the staggering debt. Klein sees this as a self-evident foundation for climate change action. But this exaggerated version of a Green New Deal, generous domestically while virtually ignoring those world citizens abroad who will really be the ones suffering from climate change, seems like vote buying.
Yes, coming out of the 1930s depression and into WW2 social programs and unions were badly needed. But that was then and this is now. These principles are still important but our general wellbeing has significantly improved, so throwing enormous sums of money at special interest groups who are not disadvantaged now like they were in the 1930s and 40s at the expense of ordinary Canadians seems misled. If we were to follow Klein’s blueprint we would have to face the worst consequences of global warming as a bankrupt nation. In the end Klein’s plan disadvantages us all
Klein’s background is a promoter of far-left political ideology, not the science or practical aspects of global warming. Unfortunately this shows. For example, there are various factual errors, almost no discussion on regenerative agriculture (which is a real winner for a highly agricultural Canada), and he does not mention that his beloved city and province are North America’s biggest coal exporter (shame).
Perhaps what bothered me most about this book are the potential consequences of speaking out with such an obviously flawed plan for climate change mobilization. A plan like this invites doubt and opposition, which could stiffen the headwind against the noble goal of fixing global warming. Klein does this for the sake of greenwashing his own peculiar political agenda.
Read
January 24, 2023We all know the climate emergency exists. As a high school student, I see my future melting away before my eyes, and what can I do? What can we do? In his unique and inspiring book A Good War, Seth Klein explores how Canada can, and should, “mobilize” for the war against the climate crisis. This book gives us fresh ideas and solid proof that in the face of an emergency, humans are quite capable. Using comparisons to how Canada dealt with World War II, Klein goes through detailed and attainable steps to succeeding in our fight for a healthy planet. He discusses the barriers to seeing dramatic changes in how we function as a world, and, more importantly, how to break down those barriers. The book guides the reader through how we should deal with each aspect of this situation: How do we rally public support? What happens to the economy? How do we uplift Indigenous voices? What does a sustainable future look like? It’s not as far-fetched as many of us imagine it to be.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The content gives it an engaging edge that many non-fiction books I've attempted to read lack. The comparisons to WWII work jarringly well, and along with Klein’s various suggestions for achieving climate justice, I learned a lot about Canada’s role during the war and war history in general. That being said, the book is very long and there are a lot of numbers and statistics. I appreciate how thorough Klein is with his research and evidence, but reading this did feel like reading one very extended essay.
Part of what makes this read interesting is how oddly hopeful it is. A lot of news or novels we see about the climate emergency outlines how dire the situation is but provides little to no detail on the steps to fix it. It’s easy to feel helpless when talking about the climate crisis, but this book breaks it down into a more approachable topic. Klein’s viewpoint that we can use this as “an opening for us to become our best selves and to create a more just society” provides an optimistic insight on how to move forward with intention (366).
In my opinion, books like this should be part of the required curriculum because of how relevant and applicable the ideas it provides are. The world that Klein outlines is so close to our grasp; we just have to understand that things need to happen now. I would recommend this book to anyone feeling lost or overwhelmed by the climate crisis, anyone who wants to know more about how we can fix the damage we've inflicted on our planet, or anyone who doesn’t know where to start. That being said, this really is a book for the entire world, and particularly Canadians. Regardless of if you’re already invested in learning about this topic, everybody has an obligation as a person living on planet earth to educate themselves about the climate crisis; A Good War is a fascinating read that should be included in that process.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The content gives it an engaging edge that many non-fiction books I've attempted to read lack. The comparisons to WWII work jarringly well, and along with Klein’s various suggestions for achieving climate justice, I learned a lot about Canada’s role during the war and war history in general. That being said, the book is very long and there are a lot of numbers and statistics. I appreciate how thorough Klein is with his research and evidence, but reading this did feel like reading one very extended essay.
Part of what makes this read interesting is how oddly hopeful it is. A lot of news or novels we see about the climate emergency outlines how dire the situation is but provides little to no detail on the steps to fix it. It’s easy to feel helpless when talking about the climate crisis, but this book breaks it down into a more approachable topic. Klein’s viewpoint that we can use this as “an opening for us to become our best selves and to create a more just society” provides an optimistic insight on how to move forward with intention (366).
In my opinion, books like this should be part of the required curriculum because of how relevant and applicable the ideas it provides are. The world that Klein outlines is so close to our grasp; we just have to understand that things need to happen now. I would recommend this book to anyone feeling lost or overwhelmed by the climate crisis, anyone who wants to know more about how we can fix the damage we've inflicted on our planet, or anyone who doesn’t know where to start. That being said, this really is a book for the entire world, and particularly Canadians. Regardless of if you’re already invested in learning about this topic, everybody has an obligation as a person living on planet earth to educate themselves about the climate crisis; A Good War is a fascinating read that should be included in that process.
April 16, 2021
My full review is on my Blog (Link here). A small portion is below.
Going in, I was expecting the book to be all about green energy in Canada, because of the windmill. I will tell you right now, it is not. I would have known if I read the back before buying the book. But let me tell ya, I was confused in the introduction when Klein was talking about the World Wars. Anyways…
The book’s main thesis is that we are in a Climate Emergency and as a nation, we should be treating it as such and get our shit together similar to what they did in World War II.
Klein focuses on the different players, individual people, communities, corporations, and (for the largest part) the Government.
It took me forever to read this book. Since there’s a lot of information in it, I had to take a lot of breaks. Between reading this and seeing climate and Covid stuff on all my social media, I was just getting a tad overwhelmed and melancholic. Thus this review is being posted four months – and one pandemic wave – later.
In general, I enjoyed the book. Most of the books I’ve read on the climate are about the USA, so it was refreshing and more relevant to read about the place I live. Klein was also really conscious to include Indigenous voices and their Governance throughout. Again, this isn’t something you see if you aren’t reading a book about Canada.
I have no interest in history, so pretty much all the information about World War II was new to me.
At a high level, I do agree that we are in an emergency/war against carbon emissions and we all should be acting as such. I don’t fully agree with the details of some of Klein’s methods, but I see how he got there. The book had a lot of ideas on how to reduce emissions and changes that can be made. See the post of my blog for some examples.
One thing I wish was a bit more explicit in the conclusion was what the reader should be doing after reading this book. I finished it up and was like, now what? Now I have all this information and nothing to do with it. The clerk at the bookstore, who sold me my copy, told me about how much she enjoyed it and how she was sending letters to our MPs to convince them to take action. I guess this is the main thing we need to do.
Going in, I was expecting the book to be all about green energy in Canada, because of the windmill. I will tell you right now, it is not. I would have known if I read the back before buying the book. But let me tell ya, I was confused in the introduction when Klein was talking about the World Wars. Anyways…
The book’s main thesis is that we are in a Climate Emergency and as a nation, we should be treating it as such and get our shit together similar to what they did in World War II.
Klein focuses on the different players, individual people, communities, corporations, and (for the largest part) the Government.
It took me forever to read this book. Since there’s a lot of information in it, I had to take a lot of breaks. Between reading this and seeing climate and Covid stuff on all my social media, I was just getting a tad overwhelmed and melancholic. Thus this review is being posted four months – and one pandemic wave – later.
In general, I enjoyed the book. Most of the books I’ve read on the climate are about the USA, so it was refreshing and more relevant to read about the place I live. Klein was also really conscious to include Indigenous voices and their Governance throughout. Again, this isn’t something you see if you aren’t reading a book about Canada.
I have no interest in history, so pretty much all the information about World War II was new to me.
At a high level, I do agree that we are in an emergency/war against carbon emissions and we all should be acting as such. I don’t fully agree with the details of some of Klein’s methods, but I see how he got there. The book had a lot of ideas on how to reduce emissions and changes that can be made. See the post of my blog for some examples.
One thing I wish was a bit more explicit in the conclusion was what the reader should be doing after reading this book. I finished it up and was like, now what? Now I have all this information and nothing to do with it. The clerk at the bookstore, who sold me my copy, told me about how much she enjoyed it and how she was sending letters to our MPs to convince them to take action. I guess this is the main thing we need to do.
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