Conservation Politics

'Bruce Babbit, when he was Secretary of the Interior, was fond of saying to conservationists, 'Don't expect me to do the right thing, make me do it'. Conservationists made impressive strides after Rachel Carson's 'Silent Spring', by relying on passion and persuasion, but little progress has been made since the 1970s, as corporate opposition has coalesced into a powerful counter-movement. Meanwhile, with shrinking opportunities for habitat protection and the looming specter of climate change, the need for further progress is greater than ever. David Johns, a political scientist with a deep interest in popular movements, makes the case that conservation will only return to the forefront of the nation's agenda when citizens mobilize into a vigorous movement with the energy to elect advocates to positions of political power. His new book offers deep insights into how to achieve this goal.' John W. Terborgh, Duke University, North Carolina
'The scientific case has been made. Poets have spoken with deep feeling. Now comes the hard part. In this well-written and very timely book, David Johns lays out the practical, political steps required to save the rest of life on Earth, and ultimately ourselves.' Edward O. Wilson, Harvard University, Massachusetts
'We the people must accept that any conservation activity of worth must be a political act. This is a simple but not a small idea. The insults foisted upon Mother Earth are so pervasive, that nothing less than the world's greatest collective action will suffice as redress. Politics is the only scheme that can organize and advance such action. David Johns writes clearly to this end from the hard ground of history and science. His book is a call to arms to use politics to promote peace, prosperity, and justice for all life. Let's hope that we the people heed the call. Every future depends on it.' Mike Phillips, Turner Endangered Species Fund, US
'David Johns has done it again! The author of A New Conservation Politics brings his wide knowledge of the conservation movement and other social movements to provide practical insights on how to make conservation more effective. This book fills a critical gap in the conservation literature by explaining how to overcome the political obstacles to conservation. For those who care about the extinction crisis he offers a path to action beyond business-as-usual. In the end, conservation is too complex to leave it to scientists, and much too important to leave it to politicians. He combines both worlds into a powerful mix.' Ignacio Jiménez Pérez, The Conservation Land Trust, Argentina
'In the 30 years I've worked with Dave Johns for things wild and free, I've seen him become a leading activist on the visionary cutting edge of rewilding and also as our deepest thinker on effective activism. Witness his latest book.' Dave Foreman, Earth First!, US