The immensity and depth of global ecological problems can be so overwhelming that it is very easy to suffer from what Holocaust writer Inga Clendinnen calls the "medusa effect." Overwhelmed by numbing horror we can easily turn to stone and do nothing. I think that as teachers and students engage deeply with the issues of religion and ecology that it is very important to have both concrete, practical examples of what we and our students can do to help solve this problem, and examples of what others are doing. Bill McKibben in "Hope, Human and Wild: True Stories of Living Lightly on the Earth" presents us with specific examples from New England, Brazil, and India of people who are taking a stand against the wholesale destruction of the environment. Realistic and perceptive, yet full of promise and hope, these stories remind us that people can make a difference, can with limited resources creatively envision new solutions to problems, and can effectively implement positive change. These are lessons it is especially important for us to remember; stories of living with less and having more of a meaningful life.

Illustrating the point of finding solutions first where we live, Mr. McKibben begins and ends his book with stories from his home, the Adirondack Mountains of New England. He speaks surprisingly of the revival and growth of the American east coast forests. With this growth has come a return of wildlife (beaver, moose, and wolf) that have for so long been missing from these forests. We hear too of groups of people and coalitions in their successful struggles against conglomerate timber companies and their clear-cutting practices, and against the creation of toxic dumps.

Other chapters are devoted to the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba. With imagination, resolution, and little money, the city's planers and administrators have found solutions to urban problems that seem impossible to us. Illustrated is a town planning that created an inner city pedestrian mall that brought both small shops and family dwellings back to a central urban area. One result of these actions was to bring a sense of distinctive community and pride in that community to the citizens of Curitiba. Directly connected to the revitalization of the center city was the development of a rapid transit system that was cheap, fuel efficient, ran often and on time, and thus provided further impetus for citizens to avoid the use of cars and to have more of a sense of community. Creative ways were put into practice for garbage and trash collection and recycling that both kept the city clean and provided a large number of the poor with a source of income.

Mr McKibben then discusses his time spent in the Indian state of Kerala. The lesson from Kerala is that it "proves that a high quality of life does not demand high levels of consumption" (54). Some interesting and some what surprising statistics begin to emerge from a study of the state of Kerala. The average income is $330 per year. This is very poor, even by Indian standards; however, life expectancy for men is 70 years of age, while in the United States it is 72 years of age. In other parts of India the average life expectancy is 58. The birth rate in Kerala is eighteen per thousand, and in the U.S. it is sixteen per thousand. Literacy in Kerala is 100%, while in other parts of India the literacy rate is 50%, and possibly one-third of women are illiterate. How did Kerala become so different? The answers lie in a combination of land and education reforms. A type of native communism insured land reform without "social cleansing", and an army of volunteer tutors eradicated illiteracy. The rise in literacy led to a more politically knowledgeable and active population, an elevation in the status of women, and the rise of health awareness, especially infant immunization and birth control. Local economic organization has created a plethora of sustainable developments. It is important too to remember that Kerala is no paradise. The people are very poor and need help. Chronic unemployment and a stagnant economy are perpetual problems, but starvation is virtually non-existent, and most importantly for us in the west, Kerala illustrates how much can be done with very little. Our collective social tendency to be endless consumers is not a fact of living a good life or building a a just and socially engaged culture.

These examples that Mr. McKibben gives are neither perfect nor idealistic. They are stories of struggle, and of what creative, imaginative, and dedicated people can do to make a difference in the face of the global environmental crisis. These are stories of hope, human and wild.

Also see Mr. McKibben's haunting story of climactic change, "The End of Nature."

review ©2000 Tom Collins and RSiSS

 

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