Critical Ecofeminism

Critical Ecofeminism extends the discussion of ecofeminism, a field of study that connects ecology with feminism, which in turn connects paternalism and capitalism with the domination of women and nature. Adding “critical” to the equation makes a big difference between tying sociopolitical hegemonies and the current climate change crisis. It emphasizes “reproduction” as opposed to “production,” and adds the critical steps to sustainability. Gaard (English, Univ. of Wisconsin, River Falls)—editor of Ecofeminism: Women, Animals, Nature (CH, Dec'93, 31-2177) and author of Ecological Politics: Ecofeminists and the Greens (CH, Nov'98, 36-1540)—advances her argument in favor of a radical environmentalism that confronts, on all levels of culture, the meaning of a viable future for the Earth. Gaard mixes scholarly practice with creative writing and activism to extend the subject matter into many disciplines, including “ecocomposition.” She advocates a just ecofeminist sustainability for plants and animals and illustrates sociopolitical-economic factors present in the culture of milk, fireworks, and animals in space that need to change. She promotes climate justice, reevaluations of “cli-fi” (i.e., climate fiction) narratives, and queering the climate. The bibliography and references alone provide a map for future studies in technology, climatology, literary ecocriticism, and activism. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates; faculty and researchers. * CHOICE *
This is a phenomenal book, beautifully written, powerfully argued, and supported by an extraordinary range and depth of theory and evidence. I have been profoundly moved by this work and have been reminded once again that Greta Gaard is one of the most important thinkers and activist-scholars of our time. -- David Naguib Pellow, University of California Santa Barbara, author of Total Liberation: The Power and Promise of Animal Rights and the Radical Earth Movement
An engaging and highly readable monograph by one of ecofeminism’s most insightful scholars, Critical Ecofeminism is a stunning achievement. Gaard gives a reflective account of ecofeminism’s evolution as an intersectional framework for interrogating socio-environmental relations and a politics of solidarity that demands eco-justice for all species. Her book provides welcome vindication for those who have remained convinced of ecofeminism’s critical power despite thirty years of mischaracterization in most corners of the academy. -- Sherilyn MacGregor, The University of Manchester