Frontlines: Stories of Global Environmental Justice

by Nick Meynen

Every unpacked frontline is one cutting edge of an economic system and political ideology that is destroying life on earth. Revealing our ecosystems to be under a sustained attack, Nick Meynen finds causes for hope in unconventional places.

Genres: Climate Change, Environment, Nonfiction, Nature, Science

312 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

About the author

Nick Meynen (1980) grew up in Antwerp, studied in Ghent and lives in Leuven (Belgium). He also feels at home in Nepal, where he spend 2 years in between 2003 and 2009 as a researcher, volunteer, journalist and founder of a non-profit. These experiences made him see the world from a distinctly non-Western perspective. In the decade since, he merged these experiences with his degrees in geography, conflict studies and journalism to become a professional environmentalist trying to address the root causes of our global war on nature. He works, writes, speaks and acts with environmental and social justice in mind. His writing ranges from investigative journalism to poetry, but literary non-fiction books are his speciality. Following on the successes of Nick's books, he started speaking regularly for universities, European institutions and NGOs. Nick is the spokesperson for the EnvJustice network and the Atlas of Environmental Justice, the largest database of environmental conflicts in the world. Nick also organized a mediatized three-day long march for environmental justice and is an active voice in public debates on environmental and economic matters. He's also part of a community farm, he loves hiking in mountains and his favorite day of the year is the first snowball-proof winter day.

Reviews

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een opdracht van Naomi Klein op een onvertaald boek van een Vlaamse auteur! Da's iets raar, dacht ik. Nick Meynen heeft een journalistiek werk samengesteld dat de "achterkant van de wereldeconomie" fel contrasteert met de gulle gaven van de vrije markt. Het positieve is dat het feitelijk gewoon erg goed ineen zit: ik heb heel wat opgestoken, van de perikelen in de nogal onsexy zand-ontginningssector tot de illegale onteigeningen en moderne slavernij die NGO-gestuurde bos-aanplantingsbeloftes kunnen teweegbrengen en de doorgestoken kaart die de Europese wetgeving omtrent scheepsloping is. Dit is vaak doorspekt met citaten en cijfers en als dusdanig erg nuttig.

Anderzijds stoort Meynens gebrek aan analytisch kader. Feiten worden vastgesteld, maar de gevolgtrekking leidt niet naar een geconcentreerde strategie, enkel 1) wanhoop en 2) individuele acties. Bedrijfsleiders worden bevraagd en menselijke bevonden; tiens, toch niet zo'n harteloze kapitalisten! Natuurlijk doet hun persoonlijkheid of gepretendeerde eco-vriendelijkheid niet ter zake, maar die indruk krijgt de lezer wel. Idem met Meynens insinuering dat de wereldhavens makkelijk stilgelegd kunnen worden door directe actie. Akkoord, maar wat dan? Meynen heeft nauwelijks een concept van kapitalisme buiten het vrijemarktwezen na, laat staan een klassensamenleving of imperialisme. Europa's parasitaire grondstoffenhonger wordt correct gediagnosticeerd, om dan opgevolgd te worden door de vraag of de rest van de wereld het in de toekomst wel okee zal vinden om ons te blijven voeden. Vinden ze dat nu al okee? Wordt hun mening eigenlijk gevraagd en hebben ze überhaupt een autonome economische basis waarop zo'n beslissing gefundeerd kan worden? Deze vragen worden uit de weg gegaan. Ik hoopte op een boek in de stijl van De mythe van de groene economie - Valstrik, verzet, alternatieven, dat een veel sterker en meer rigoureus theoretisch kader hanteert, maar Frontlijnen blijft vaak steken in de modder van de pathos.

[Burag Gürden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nick unpacks the grand battle between the predatory business and power-laden politics of our Age, and strorifies ordinary person’s pursuit of justice. This is a full-fledged battle between individuals and industry, between communities and lobbyist companies. Nick uses a strong narrative and rhetoric in telling the real-life experience of peasants, farmers, activists, factivists, urban-dwellers, citizen-scientists, certified-scientists, women, men and children that goes under one’s skin. His storytelling brings the burning issue of ecological breakdown and environmental justice to the heart of 21st-century crises. Finding strength in local and regional environmental struggles, Nick finds the resolution in people’s collective choice of a future that is not shaped by economics but socially- and environmentally-sound value systems. The “Frontlines” are not gruesome after all. Nick convinces the reader of the power of multiform unity and solidarity between people around the globe. There is no talk of victims here, but actors, who take initiatives and action against the systems of injustice and predatory capitalism.

Nick shares a learned lesson: prosperity is about ecological harmony, democracy and commitment into our relationship with nature – caring for ecological intactness, biodiversity, social cohesion and environmental justice. This, he finds, in the effort of adaptation to the nature. The difference between an adaptation as such and a modern understanding of adaptation to changes is that the holistic, deeper understanding of ecology, where ecological boundaries (supply-side limits) are recognized. With the same logic, Nick problematizes the economic models which exploit the environment based on an unrealistic world-order that is free from power and poor in ecological knowledge and respect/reciprocity. He reminds us of the fact that the global unequal exchange and exploitation is generating material prosperity at one place in exchange for poverty and hunger at another. Good news is that organized citizens and globally-cooperating small groups of earth-defenders are winning more and more cases against the predatory business and environment-damagers. This gives strength to Nick and to many others alike.

[Tycho Van Hauwaert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you ever want to read a book that digs deeper into the dark areas of our global economy? Than you should definitely read “Frontlines” from Nick Meynen. If you still believe that neoliberalism, free trade and economic growth are the best things of our society, I think you will acknowledge that they go hand in hand with disastrous side effects. The strength of this book, is that Meynen himself went to all places on our planet to see the troubles himself. He tells us in an anecdotal way about the pressure on our ecosystem. Think of pollution of our natural capital (palm oil in the Amazon forest, gold digging in Greece or tar sands and fracking). Why do we send our old ships to Bangladesh, where they dismantle those in bad circumstances? Neoliberalism, capitalism and growth are myths. They aren’t needed, even more, they are undesirable. There are alternatives: a strong state, commons and more sustainable business. If you want to learn more about the back gates of globalism, read this and suggest this book to every (neo)liberal you know, I do it too! Have a lot of fun (not the exact emotion you will get) while reading! Naomi Klein approved!

[Tycho Van Hauwaert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nick Meynen, dames en heren, neemt een kijkje achter de schermen van de wereldeconomie. Er zijn namelijk zaken te zien waarvan jij en ik hun bestaan niet kennen. De problemen die het globalisme en het neoliberalisme veroorzaken zijn niet min: enorme druk op onze grondstoffen (zeldzame metalen bv.), vervuiling van grote natuurgebieden (Amazonegebied voor boskap en palmolie), vervuiling tout court in Europa (Tsjernobyl, site van Umicore), de afvalmaffia in Napels die zijn gang kan gaan zonder enige milieuwetgeving, ... de lijst is eindeloos. Het is natuurlijk een mythe dat het neoliberalisme, kapitalisme én economische groei nodig zijn, en als je dan even kijkt naar de gevolgen, dan begin je te denken dat het zelfs meer dan onwenselijk is. Meynen bespreekt de mythes en illustreert dit treffend, naar het voorbeeld van Naomi Klein. Frontlijnen is een spraakmakend boek dat mag aangehaald worden in elke vorm van educatie. Veel plezier met wenkbrauwen fronsen!

[Piotr Barczak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written book about a difficult subject. It gives the reader a full spectrum of emotions - from discovering, joy, opening mind, listening to the story, curiosity, through anger, sadness, despair, to motivation, hope and willingness to act.
I totally recommend it. reads well and smooth.

[David Demets · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone concerned with the future of humanity should read this book. This is a true eye-opener full of AHA moments.

Nick convinced me to take action right away. After hearing him talk, I started the small local movement "More trees in Roeselare".

[Mercedes · Rating 5 out of 5]

a book everyone should read
eyeopener
shows what one CAN do in times of mass economical misconduct

[Liesbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book everyone MUST read!

[ManLeestBoek · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you take a look at my 'Read' list, you'll see this topic of environmental injustice is a bit out of my comfort zone. However, after reading this book I'm very much convinced everyone should read it. Nick Meynen manages to explain difficult topics in a clear way. Very relevant and most of all... very important!

[Valentina Weiskopf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed reading this book, which is easy to read, yet witted and very informative. Nick takes the reader on a journey to talk about human struggles in an economic system and mindset which has failed to respect planetary and social boundaries. In his book, he draws the contours of the frontlines between those who want to continue on a “business as usual” pathway and people around the world who dare to stand up to power and demand their rights to be respected. Telling truly personal stories as well as navigating many possible solutions to reforming our economic system, Nick reminds us that it is up to each and every one of us to play our role in the fight to achieve the radical changes necessary to save the planet. I highly recommend this book!

[Iulia Gheorghita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really opened my eyes to the lengths to which many multinational corporations are willing to go to avoid paying for the ecological damage they've done. I found the stories of environmental conflicts really fascinating; particularly memorable for me were Meynen's description of the Skouries gold mine project in Greece and the sand mafia in India (certainly didn't know this existed beforehand). Meynen also discusses the movement of consumer goods around the planet and the massive environmental burden of the shipping industry. One of my favorite sections of the book was the part introducing the degrowth movement - I found this really inspiring and super fascinating. Being pretty ignorant about all the environmental problems we face, I felt like I got a pretty good overview with this book.

[Liesbeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

VERPLICHTE lectuur voor iedereen zou ik zo zeggen!!

[Cédric Vaneberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eyeopener

[Claudine Carton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bijzonder interessant en leerrijk, geeft een goed inzicht in onze economie. Een aanrader voor elk van ons.