“My point of departure in this book is the momentous environmental challenge we face. But today’s environmental reality is linked powerfully with other realities, including growing social inequality and neglect and the erosion of democratic governance and popular control. . . . As citizens we must now mobilize our spiritual and political resources for transformative change on all three fronts.”—Gus Speth
How serious are the threats to our environment? Here is one measure of the problem: if we continue to do exactly what we are doing, with no growth in the human population or the world economy, the world in the latter part of this century will be unfit to live in. Of course human activities are not holding at current levels—they are accelerating, dramatically—and so, too, is the pace of climate disruption, biotic impoverishment, and toxification. In this book Gus Speth, author of Red Sky at Morning and a widely respected environmentalist, begins with the observation that the environmental community has grown in strength and sophistication, but the environment has continued to decline, to the point that we are now at the edge of catastrophe.
Speth contends that this situation is a severe indictment of the economic and political system we call modern capitalism. Our vital task is now to change the operating instructions for today’s destructive world economy before it is too late. The book is about how to do that.
Reviews
“Contemporary capitalism and a habitable planet cannot coexist. That is the core message of The Bridge at the Edge of the World, by Gus Speth, a prominent environmentalist who, in this book, has turned sharply critical of the U.S. environmental movement. . . . This book is an extremely probing and thoughtful diagnosis of the root causes of planetary distress.”―Ross Gelbspan, Washington Post Book World
“With candor, cadence and clarity, Speth presents a compelling case for prompt action, making this book a must-read on the subject. Protecting the environment needs not just an overhaul of institutions, but of values and mindsets, he says. . . . He argues that we must now choose between two paths: one leading to destruction, the other to a bridge that would help us cross to safety. Like an evangelist, Speth draws not just on facts, but anecdotes, quotes, even poetry to make his point.”―Le-Min Lim, Chicago Tribune
“Speth laments the tortuously slow pace of environmental activism in the face of the near-calamitous decline of species, soils, forests and oceans, and the dangerous advance of global warming. . . . But the challenges are too grave to wait for a new president. Speth’s book makes it abundantly clear: Start ourselves, while (hopefully) there’s still time.”—Neal Peirce, Washington Post Writers Group
“Contemporary capitalism and a habitable planet cannot coexist. . . . This book is an extremely probing and thoughtful diagnosis of the root causes of planetary distress.”—Ross Gelbspan, Washington Post Book World
“With candor, cadence and clarity, Speth presents a compelling case for prompt action, making this book a must-read. . . . Like an evangelist, Speth draws not just on facts, but anecdotes, quotes, even poetry to make his point.”―Le-Min Lim, Chicago Tribune
“With candor, cadence and clarity, Speth presents a compelling case for prompt action, making this book a must-read on the subject.”—Bloomberg News
“The Bridge at the Edge of the World may be the most concise analysis of the current state of the natural world and what might be done about it.”—Brooke Williams, Planet News
“Acclaimed environmentalist Speth asserts that our capitalist economy, with its emphasis on continuous robust growth, is at loggerheads with the environment. He minces no words as he writes that to destroy life as we know it, all we have to do is ‘keep doing exactly what we are doing today.'”—Booklist
“In his severe indictment of our stewardship of the planet, Speth says all we need to do to destroy the Earth is to continue what we’re doing now: overproduce and overconsume. He presents a scary compendium of all the damage we have inflicted. . . . But he’s smart enough to know that if the market economy is a big part of the problem, it has to be a big part of the solution. . . . The book is a wide-ranging synthesis of many ideas in the realms of economics, politics, and ecology, and calls for some profound changes in the way the economy and political institutions are governed.”—Peter Hadekel, Montreal Gazette
“The Bridge at the End of the World lays out a harsh future and strong prescriptions for changing the way we do business, conduct politics and treat the environment. . . . Speth believes that the world economy’s obsession with growth and consumerism will lead to disaster. . . . What is needed, Speth argues, is a radical change in the economic system that takes into account the environmental costs of doing business and refocuses society on building more sustainable ways of living.”—David Funkhouser, Hartford Courant
“Speth lays out the scientific consensus about climate change and ecological stress with authority. Global warming, he notes, has a terrible momentum. . . . [This book] is an excellent quick survey of global climate and ecological management at present. . . . [Speth’s] aim is to improve the quality of life, foster social solidarity, and restore our connectedness to nature by making corporations accountable to society at large.”―Brian Thomas, New Leader
“James Gustave Speth, wrote the book The Bridge at the Edge of the World because he’s worried about our future and he’s right. We should all be very worried. . . . This book, both for it’s brilliant articulation of the worlds’ current system and, as Speth calls it, the ‘crisis of capitalism,’ is an important addition to your bookshelf. And it’s sufficiently easy to read and accessible that it’s a great gift for just about anybody!”―Thom Hartmann, buzzflash.com
“Speth pulls no punches. He offers a sharp, sometimes lacerating critique of the movement he helped establish, saying it has become swamped under ‘environmental impact statements’ and ‘total maximum daily load’ regulations. . . . His solution is to forge a new ‘environmental political movement,’ in which initiatives in human rights, social justice, politics, and the environment all work toward the same goal: a healthy planet that can fulfill the needs of all humanity. . . . [Speth says] ‘the environmental community needs to become a political reform group.’ It’s a call we’re hearing with increasing frequency, but this time it comes from a uniquely authoritative voice.”—Molly Webster, onearth Magazine (NRDC)
“Speth has emerged as a devastating critic of capitalism’s destruction of the environment. In this radical rethinking, he has chosen to confront the full perils brought on by the present economic system, with its pursuit of growth and accumulation at any cost. . . . The crucial problem from an environmental perspective, he believes, is exponential economic growth.”―John J. Simon, Monthly Review
“When Gus Speth gets radical, it’s time to start digging bunkers. . . . He’s been a major player in the modern environmental movement—and he says that movement is failing. In his new book . . . Speth argues that the progress of the green movement has been no match for the far larger tide of ecological destruction that now threatens to submerge humanity entirely. It’s time to question the political economy that dominates the developed world, time to ask whether it’s providing benefits commensurate with the massive environmental deterioration it generates. It’s time to question capitalism.”—David Roberts, Gristmill
“Speth’s well-reasoned call for a new environmental movement, for a new movement in which environmental issues are central, is a welcome and much-needed contribution, particularly for the climate and environmental movements. . . . Speth writes approvingly of a government-regulated market economy, one in which environmental impacts and the ‘polluter pays’ principle would be paramount, essentially a form of environmental social democracy. . . . And we are fortunate that ‘ultimate insider’ Gus Speth will continue to help lead us as we build towards the Environmental Revolution which must occur.”—Ted Glick, Gristmill
“Speth is at his best analyzing the nature and the complexity of the problem, and displaying the debates among various academic disciplines and in multiple circles: scholars, policy analysts, activists, opinion leaders, and policy makers. His prodigious knowledge of these debates and his ability to render them in a crisp, clear prose, densely sprinkled with great quotes from great minds, make the book a fine read and a valuable resource. It should be standard reading for students who care about sustainability, regardless of their area of study and future career plans.”―Philip J. Vergragt & Halina S. Brown, Sustainability: Science, Practice & Policy
“An important contribution to the growing body of visionary literature dealing with the challenges of sustainability. In addition to his own thought-provoking observations, Speth’s extensive references offer an excellent introduction to many other authors who address our daunting global environmental problems, capitalism’s role in exacerbating them, and the core sufficiency principles that many observers believe will be required to deal with them. The book provides a smorgasbord for future readings by those who want to dig deeper into the issues of sustainability.”―Edward Sanders, Sustainability: Science, Practice & Policy
“The Bridge at the Edge of the World was an epiphany for me. . . . It is an optimistic view of the future. . . . One of the book’s most compelling features is that it serves as a guide to key literature; hundreds of citations are included for those of us inclined to explore further the issues raised. . . . I see it as a guide for moving toward cultural, social, and environmental equity that could in turn lead to balanced sustainability in the planet’s future. . . . Read this book! I am making sure all my graduate students read my copy.”―John D. Peine, Sustainability: Science, Practice & Policy
“Speth understands that America’s addiction to growth must be challenged, and that we need to learn to recognize what is ‘enough.’ In recognizing that what environmentalism needs most is the forging of a new consciousness, Speth’s book becomes a powerful support to our Network of Spiritual Progressives—indispensable reading!”—Tikkun“What is needed, Speth argues, is a radical change in the economic system that takes into account the environmental costs of doing business and refocuses society on building more sustainable ways of living.”—David Funkhouser, Hartford Courant
“The Bridge at the End of the World was an epiphany for me. . . . I see it as a guide for moving toward cultural, social, and environmental equity that could in turn lead to balanced sustainability in the planet’s future.”―John D. Peine, Sustainability: Science, Practice & Policy
“A great book that everyone concerned with the fate of the world must read. . . . The book is deeply thoughtful, thoroughly researched, and a pleasure to read.”―Seventh Generation
“If America can be said to have a distinguished elder statesman of environmental policy, Speth is it. . . . He is after bigger game—the Wal-Martization of America, our slavish devotion to an ever-expanding gross domestic product, the utter failure of what [he] disparagingly calls ‘modern capitalism’ to create a sustainable world. What is needed, Speth believes, is not simply a tax on greenhouse gas emissions, but ‘a new operating system’ for the modern world.”—Orion
“Are these solutions hopelessly idealistic and impossible to achieve? Speth’s passionate argument is convincing—it can be done, but it will require a great deal of effort.”—The Futurist
Selected as a Top 5 Environment Book in New England by the Boston Globe
Selected as one of the best books of 2008 by the Washington Post in the Nature & The Environment category
Finalist for the 2009 Orion Book Award, given by The Orion Society
“Speth is a maestro―conducting a mighty chorus of voices from a dozen disciplines all of which are calling for transformative change before it is too late. The result is the most compelling plea we have for changing our lives and our politics. And it is a compelling case indeed.”―Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
“Honest, insightful, and courageous. Dean Speth draws on his formidable experience and wisdom to ask why we are failing to preserve a habitable Earth. His conclusions are cogent, revolutionary, and essential.”―David W. Orr, Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics, Oberlin College. Author of Design on the Edge and Earth in Mind
“When a figure as eminent and mainstream as Gus Speth issues a warning this strong and profound, the world should take real notice. This is an eloquent, accurate, and no-holds-barred brief for change large enough to matter.”—Bill McKibben, author, Deep Economy and The Bill McKibben Reader
“An extremely important book both for what it says and for who is saying it. The steady transformation of a solid, pragmatic, progressive negotiator into a ‘radical and unrealistic’ oracle concerned with the fundamental nature of modern economies is an important event.”―Richard Norgaard, University of California, Berkeley
“One can scarcely choose a more important or timely subject than this one. Speth writes about it with passion and conviction, and a touch of humor.”―J. R. McNeill, Georgetown University
About the Author
James Gustave Speth, a distinguished leader and founder of environmental institutions over the past four decades, is dean of the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University. He was awarded Japan’s Blue Planet Prize for “a lifetime of creative and visionary leadership in the search for science-based solutions to global environmental problems.” He lives in New Haven, CT.
- Publisher : Yale University Press; Illustrated edition (March 10, 2009)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 320 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0300151152
- ISBN-13 : 978-0300151152
- Item Weight : 11.6 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.4 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
See related:
- They Knew: The US Federal Governments Fifty-Year Role in Causing the Climate Crisis | James Gustave Speth, Julia Olson, Philip Gregory
- Angels by the River: A Memoir: James Gustave Speth
- The New Systems Reader: James Gustave Speth
- Criminalizing the Best and the Brightest: Gus Speth on the Origins and Character of Our Climate Crisis | Cambridge Community Television
- Rhodes Scholars Warn of Dramatic Transformations Required by Global Climate Crisis
- The Rise and Coming Demise of “Free-Market” Fundamentalism – Viewpoints from Balliol College Over Time
Listing of some references to the work of Gus Speth
See particularly the excerpt from:
Transition Studies 