Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation

by Fred Magdoff, Chris Williams

Sickened by the contamination of their water, their air, of the Earth itself, more and more people are coming to realize that it is capitalism that is, quite literally, killing them. It is now clearer than ever that capitalism is also degrading the Earth's ability to support other forms of life. Capitalism's imperative--to make a profit at all costs and expand without end--is destabilizing Earth's climate while increasing human misery and inequality on a planetary scale. Already, hundreds of millions of people are facing poverty in the midst of untold wealth, perpetual war, growing racism, and gender oppression. The need to organize for social and environmental reforms has never been greater. But crucial as reforms are, they cannot solve our intertwined ecological and social crises. Creating an Ecological Society reveals an overwhelmingly simple truth: Fighting for reforms is vital, but revolution is essential.

Because it aims squarely at replacing capitalism with an ecologically sound and socially just society, Creating an Ecological Society is filled with revolutionary hope. Fred Magdoff and Chris Williams, who have devoted their lives to activism, Marxist analysis, and ecological science, provide informed, fascinating accounts of how a new world can be created from the ashes of the old. Their book shows that it is possible to envision and create a society that is genuinely democratic, equitable, and ecologically sustainable. And possible--not one moment too soon--for society to change fundamentally and be brought into harmony with nature.

Genres: Environment, Politics, Ecology, Nonfiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published May 29, 2017

About the author

Fred Magdoff is Emeritus Professor of Soils in the Department of Plant and Soil Science at the University of Vermont. He received his degrees from Oberlin College (BA) and from Cornell University (MS and PhD). Magdoff was Plant and Soil Science Department Chair for 8 years (1985-1993), a member of the National Small Farm Commission (1997-1999, USDA), and is the Coordinator in the 12-state Northeast Region for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy.

Magdoff's area of specialty is soil fertility and management. He has worked on problems of sodic and saline soils, acid soils, use of manures and sewage sludges, phosphorus soil tests, nutrient cycling, and he developed the first reliable soil test for nitrogen availability to corn for the humid regions of the U.S. This test, called the Pre-Sidedress Nitrate Test (PSNT) and the Spring or Late Spring Nitrate Test, is now used throughout much of the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwestern states as well as in eastern Canada. It has also been adopted for use with a number of vegetable crops.

Magdoff has oriented his outreach activities to explaining how to apply ecological principles to agricultural production. His book, Building Soils for Better Crops (2000, Harold van Es, co-author), is an ecologically-based approach that explains how to work with and enhance the inherent built-in strengths of plant/soil systems. Magdoff is also interested in political and economic issues surrounding agriculture and was senior editor of Hungry for Profit: The Agribusiness Threat to Farmers, Food, and the Environment (2000, Monthly Review Press, NY).

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous book, well worth reading!! The first part is discouraging but plow through it and get to the parts about what we can do about it all - some of that is truly inspiring!

[Redpoet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, not great, pretty basic. I recommended it to my former brother in law who is a moderate former oil company executive. That should kind of tell you how I saw this book.

[Rhys · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creating an Ecological Society provides a solid critique of inequality in society and our unsustainable relationship with the Earth. The problems are clear. The solutions, however, continue to allude us - particularly a plausible transition short of civil/class war.

"Illth comes in many forms. One is conspicuous consumption by the very rich – the luxury cars, yachts, private jets, huge houses, and other forms of ostentatious living. World Bank economists calculate that the wealthiest 10 percent of the world’s population uses close to 60 percent of all the world’s resources. If this richest 10 percent reduced their consumption to the average consumption of the rest of humanity, total global resource use would be cut in half" (p.108).

[Matthew Silverman · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book ultimately said nothing, definitely nothing new. I came to it hoping for a reason to believe in revolution but instead received a broken record crying "Capitalism is evil!" without providing any alternative other than implying communism without acknowledging how that might go (based on history). There were a few "whats" (what the new ecological society will be), but not enough, and zero "hows".