Taking Back Eden: Eight Environmental Cases that Changed the World

by Oliver A. Houck

Taking Back Eden is a set of case studies of environmental lawsuits brought in eight countries around the world, including the U.S, beginning in the 1960s. The book conveys what is in fact a revolution in the field of ordinary citizens (and lawyers) using their standing as citizens in challenging corporate practices and government policies to change not just the way the environment is defended but the way that the public interest is recognized in law. Oliver Houck, a well-known environmental attorney, professor of law, and extraordinary storyteller, vividly depicts the places protected, as well as the litigants who pursued the cases, their strategies, and the judges and other government officials who ruled on them. This book will appeal to upperclass undergraduates, graduate students, and to all citizens interested in protecting the environment.

Genres: Environment, Nonfiction, Law

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Jenel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows how to fight for change. It HAS to be done in the legal system. It has to be done over the Loooooong haul. It takes bravado and perseverance. It takes sacrifice. There are samples from across the globe on how these legal fight have worked for control over those who would use every resource we have on the planet up for profit and their own benefit.

It is a sad synchronicity that I read this book over the period when the Supreme Court reviewed and totally WRECKED the protection for our Wetlands. Shame of them. But the ONLY way to fight this is back in the courts. That's what Taking Back Eden, shows in the details of the example cases.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only a review of precedent-setting environmental law cases, but a tour of beautiful natural wonders throughout the world. I loved that each chapter began with a description of the environment at stake, its history, and cultural and ecological significance. This book sparks an interest in the differences between nations' legal systems and how passionate advocates can fight within them. Pairs well with How to Blow Up a Pipeline.

[Rosanna]

The first couple chapters were hard to understand coming from a recent master graduate of geoscience major. Then it became easier to read and I love the tone of the author.

[Crystal Chow · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book for environmental law enthusiasts, and everyone who's simply interested in reading about the stories of ordinary people around the world who took to the court to defend their environment and, by doing so, pioneered the whole global domain of public interest environmental litigation.

The author Oliver A. Houck is a former US federal attorney, a legal expert, and a masterful storyteller. "Taking Back Eden: Eight Environmental Cases that Changed the World" retells the struggles that span across the globe and brings these amazing stories to life - fishermen dedicated to protect the Hudson River in the US; the judges who made the decision to put the welfare of cedar trees around Nikko Taro over the Tokyo Olympics; a Philippine lawyer who first introduced the principle of "intergenerational equity" to the country where illegal logging had been rampant; The First Nation people's lone fight to preserve their hunting grounds and ancestral lands in Canada; an Indian civil attorney who spent more than a decade trying to save the majestic Taj Mahal from pollution-induced erosion; how regime changes in Russia gave way to a vocal movement in protecting the Lenin's forests; and so on.

When I was doing my master's in global energy and climate policy I took the International Environmental Law as my elective. IEL is mostly about international conventions, cross-boundary disputes, and intergovernmental frameworks (which, of course, are just as interesting to me); Not much from what I read deals with national case laws. That's why this book is so eye-opening to me - I bet not many of these stories managed to go beyond the national or regional press and be told in a such an engaging way.

[Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great read. Houck is a very good story teller, and explains the eight cases in a manner that is both fascinating and understandable to readers of all backgrounds. After reading this book, you'll have a true appreciation for those individuals who stand up to big corporations and government to fight for our right to live in a sustainable environment.