ON FIRE by Naomi Klein is subtitled “The (Burning)
Case for a Green New Deal.” Klein is a best-selling author who also holds an endowed chair
at Rutgers University and has co-founded the climate justice organization The
Leap. Her recent book is basically a collection of
essays, some new and some written in the last decade, regarding climate change
and its increasing urgency. I agree with other reviewers who have pointed to
the necessity of becoming better informed on this topic – whether or not you
ultimately agree with Klein. In her latest book, she takes a
social justice perspective and argues that we can solve multiple crises at
once:
The introduction to ON FIRE is lengthy, but
accessible and inspirational, especially for teen readers. For example, she
writes about numerous impacts around the world like one million dead fish in
Australia’s Darling River, water shortages in Cape Town, South Africa, and
wildfires in America’s Pacific Northwest. Klein points out that “wherever in
the world they live, this generation has something in common: they are the
first for whom climate disruption on a planetary scale is not a future threat,
but a lived reality.” She continues to explain the genesis of the recent
movement, including providing background on Greta Thunberg and her Friday protests which in turn prompted today's events.
Klein asks “what is interfering with humanity’s basic survival instinct – why so
many of us aren’t acting like our house is on fire when it so clearly is” and
notes that “there are many powerful interests that like things as they are.” Some
of Klein’s other sections are titled “Capitalism vs. the Climate,” “Stop Trying
to Save the World All by Yourself,” and an epilogue on “The Capsule Case for a
Green New Deal.” Klein’s ON FIRE
received a starred review from Library Journal.
