Whether efforts at ecological reconstruction take the form of a community garden, a farmers' market, abandoned land turned into a park, or a campaign against corporate interference with the integrity of one's community, activism at the local level helps to reclaim public space and nurture a sensibility that can begin to save our culture from the ravages of corporate dominance.
- Brian Tokar, Earth For Sale

Brian Tokar, in Earth For Sale: Reclaiming Ecology in the Age of Corporate Greenwash, takes a scathing look at the contemporary environmental movement and the powerful corporations wishing to derail environmental and social rights. The book introduces the reader to the diverse players of the environmental movement, from the mainstream lobbyists in Washington, DC, to the activists living in the canopies of ancient redwoods. Tokar exposes the co-optation of mainstream environmental organizations by greedy transnational corporations including Exxon, Union Carbide, Monsanto, Dow Chemical and Weyerhaeuser. This book dynamically depicts struggles that both environmentalists and affected citizens face in their daily quest for social and environmental equity. Tokar offers timely advice for the current environmental crisis, where money is more valuable than wild lands, clean air and pure water.

Earth For Sale successfully exposes how convoluted the environmental movement has become. Many individuals and organizations choose different paths to fight the system. Similarly, different philosophies underlie their actions. Tokar's contrast between social ecology and deep ecology is an interesting example of the different philosophies held by environmentalists. The deep ecologist, Tokar states, "perceive wilderness as the real world, in the setting where natural evolution may continue free of the manipulations and disruptions that they chiefly associate with human presence." Deep ecologists tend to view the natural world as separate from human society. They emphasize protection of biological diversity and have a "biocentric" worldview. In contrast, "social ecology seeks the roots of ecological destruction in particular social institutions - capitalism and the nation/state - and argues that an ecological society can emerge from forms of local political engagement that directly challenge these institutions." Advocates of social ecology look more at the role of humans in nature, trying to balance the needs for cultural and biological diversity.

This book engages the reader by providing current examples of social and environmental injustice caused by corporate greed. Tokar dives into the perils of the Salvage Rider which opened up vast tracks of previously protected public lands by exempting salvage sales from environmental enforcement, legal challenges and citizen appeals. We see how, in many cases, President Clinton's desire to appease both industry and citizens results in contradiction and compromise. Other examples abound, including the struggle to stop the illegal dumping of toxic sludge on native lands in southern California's deserts.

Tokar depicts the strategies used by various groups to combat environmental destruction, plus he offers a few new ones. This book is excellent for the person wanting to learn more about current environmental battles. For more seasoned environmentalists, it offers new views and prospective solutions to long-term problems.

Upon completion, I walked away feeling the urgency for change. This change will not come as long as the environmental movement remains segregated. It is essential to unify activists, workers, all ethnic groups and social classes. Earth For Sale is a match to set the idea of an ecological revolution on fire. It is time for an ecological revolution that spans the globe in a rainbow of colors, stopping people in their tracks with the realization that the Earth is truly not for sale!