Empowering The Earth Strategies For Social Change. - Review - book review

Alex Begg

GREEN BOOKS 2000

[pound]10.95

Lying somewhere between an academic treatise, a biography of an eco-activist, and a guidebook for Green campaigners, Alex Begg's Empowering the Earth is a truly remarkable book. Written with sincerity, honesty, and from personal experience, and in a sharp critical analytical style, Begg has produced a 'must read', inspirational book. As an (academic) author myself, I can only envy Begg's capacity to deal with difficult and complex analytical issues of power and social change with ease, explaining abstract issues clearly, often with the help of his own experiences. He manages to integrate critical analysis with personal reflection in an engaging and imaginative way, which connects theorising about social change to the activity of organising and supporting it.

Begg begins by taking a view of power as productive and necessary, and not something intrinsically 'negative' and to be 'eliminated'.

This view is based on a combination of his own insights and those of Foucault, systems theory and science, the green movement and theorists of green politics, and a bit of 'green spirituality' (though thankfully not enough to turn this reader off). Power for Begg is relational, and not a property possessed by some over others. As he puts it: 'We must accept that power is inherent in all human relations, to a greater or lesser extent, and that there is no possibility of a world "free from power". This means that we cannot simply regard power as a bad thing: it is what makes our lives possible.' Begg's distinction between two types of power (power-over and power-to), and the relations between them, form the major theme of the book.

What is particularly interesting is that Begg's view of Green social change does not require the abandoning or rejection of all that exists in the present industrial order. A quote from Glen, a member of the Exodus Collective, illustrates this point: 'We've got to find a different way of living -- something spiritual, without all this greed. But that doesn't mean we can't eat Sugar Puffs'. Begg suggests practical and radical alternatives, all of which can deliver real, tangible benefits to people now, rather than relying on people supporting radical change on the basis of wonderful things promised 'after the revolution'. From alternative, convivial technology, to LETS schemes and various co-operative enterprises, Begg outlines the ways in which radical change can 'spread' and flow throughout society.

Since we cannot escape the dominant systems of power-over, especially the capitalist economy, Begg's analysis offers a realistic assessment of the shifting line/s that may be drawn and redrawn between the 'industrial/consumer' world and its ecological alternative. This means that the sense of guilt and hypocrisy many feel in, on the one hand, disagreeing with the dominant culture, yet at the same time enjoying its benefits, is less of a problem -- we are all complicit to different degrees. This helps break down the real or perceived barriers between those engaged in radical politics and those living in consumer society -- while there are obviously real differences, there is also an underlying and important shared fate of being implicated in the system of power-over.

As Begg puts it, 'There is no place where a line can be drawn -- everything is connected to everything else'. The important point Begg makes is that it is only by providing people with a viable, attractive alternative, and one that is not so alien from their lives and views that it is an object of suspicion to them, that the Green movement will persuade people within mainstream society. 'The first shift towards gaining and practising a social change skill, then, is seeing a step from the familiar to the unfamiliar that is consistent with the learner's motivation...for most the motivation must come from a tangible, immediate gain.'

Adopting and applying a systems theory framework to the analysis of power makes for not only a very interesting, but a powerful (excuse the pun) way of looking at, studying, initiating and organising social change.

Taking this view of a relation between two systems of power means that, for Begg, the activist for social change cannot avoid getting involved with the dominant political and economic institutions of power-over. Explicitly criticising those for whom the only ethically pure strategy is to reject the dominant system of power-over, Begg (correctly in my view) states that: 'At the end of the day, the question is not whether or not to sup with the devil, but rather whether the spoon is long enough.' The real issue for radical social change, according to Begg, is the assessment on a case by case basis of the 'terms of trade' of any 'ethical compromise one makes between the two systems of power -- that is, is the overall impact of the compromise to increase, strengthen the system of power-to and/or weaken the system of power-over?

It is above all his refreshingly realistic, candid assessment of the possibilities for radical social change that for this reviewer makes this an excellent book. 'There is no "middle way" when one side in the contest is so dominant. There is no way to remain above the grubby worlds of politics and commerce when to abstain from power altogether is to cut oneself off from the means of life. Connections have to be made... It is not about being in the mainstream which gets results, nor about being revolutionary; it is the connection between the two, the ability to have a foot in both camps and your heart in empowerment.' In light of the recent debate between two prominent green activists in The Ecologist (Vol 30 No 6), Begg's 'both/and' strategy as opposed to the 'either/or' dichotomies that often characterised the exchange between Jonathon Porritt and George Monbiot, is something to be applauded and for which the Green movement should be grateful. It deserves to be read widely.

COPYRIGHT 2001 MIT Press Journals
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group