Well known journalist George Monbiot needs little introduction. Many know him from his regular Guardian column and those familiar with his work understand that he is an activist with an agenda. This statement isn't a condemnation, merely an observation: I have an agenda also and I hope everyone reading this has one too. I began reading Regenisis with the knowledge that Monbiot’s vision of the future is profoundly at odds with mine, but nevertheless with a commitment to keep an open mind and read with as little bias as possible.
Totally with you on this. I just read Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma as well as one of Joel Salatin’s books, by the way, so this dovetails well with my current thinking.
I read this book for the similar reasons to those that you presented here, feeling like I had an obligation to be familiar with what he his arguments and what he was proposing. I found the book a difficult read, I think especially because I was so engaged in and felt a connection with the first chapters. I cannot imagine that trying to completely remove ourselves from the nature that we are completely a part of (like it or not) could ever be a good idea. I think that putting our food and health in the hands of tech companies and governments is one of the most dangerous suggestions I can imagine. As usual, those that have the least and have the most to lose will be the biggest losers in this scenario. Thanks for writing this review, I will be passing it along.
I'll be the wrench in your writing. ;) First off, I haven't read the book, though I have read one of his books and am somewhat familiar with him. I read Feral a few years ago, it was much more of a UK slant and I thought it very interesting because I wasn't aware of some of the ecological issues the UK faced.
I think you are rather simplistic in relying on farmers to know their land to quantify soil. Farmers are farmers, they may be good at growing whatever crop they produce, but they aren't soil scientists. It's also simplistic to not take into account indigenous cultures and how devastating they were to megafauna prior to European colonization in the Americas. Many people prefer this kumbaya perspective of native cultures without considering for a moment they too are humans who have exploited the landscape at some point in time.
I'm curious why you called environmentalists techno-optimists? I definitely do not see tech involved in decoupling ag from nature. Again, I think you are incredibly simplistic in "learning from indigenous and peasant cultures that have retained sustainable relationships with their land..." because to me this sounds like you are meshing together all of those cultures into one without taking into account the historical facts for many of those cultures on their own land. Peasant cultures deforested the British Isles and much of Europe.
Looked up some of your names at the end, I recognized Diana Rodgers from her podcast. I was once vegetarian for a few years and also very into the permaculture and somewhat paleo movements. I have heard the rigmarole from both groups. There's a middle ground but also a ground that removes humans as the center of conversation.
Have you read anything by Benjamin Vogt? I highly recommend his book A New Garden Ethic---it isn't about meat or soil but it's about the human primacy we've placed on our ecosystems.
Anyway, I will be checking out Monbiot's book from the library so that I can come back and discuss this with a little more information than what you've shared here. Hopefully I can come back sometime this spring and chat more.
Thank you for reading George's book so I wouldn't have to! Did he talk about food waste? I believe it's at about a third of food produced is discarded even though it is edible. Maybe too simple a solution; not fancy at all.
Totally with you on this. I just read Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma as well as one of Joel Salatin’s books, by the way, so this dovetails well with my current thinking.
I read this book for the similar reasons to those that you presented here, feeling like I had an obligation to be familiar with what he his arguments and what he was proposing. I found the book a difficult read, I think especially because I was so engaged in and felt a connection with the first chapters. I cannot imagine that trying to completely remove ourselves from the nature that we are completely a part of (like it or not) could ever be a good idea. I think that putting our food and health in the hands of tech companies and governments is one of the most dangerous suggestions I can imagine. As usual, those that have the least and have the most to lose will be the biggest losers in this scenario. Thanks for writing this review, I will be passing it along.
Very interesting. I barely know Monboit from a few articles I've read in The Guardian. Now I know a lot more. Thanks for this.
I'll be the wrench in your writing. ;) First off, I haven't read the book, though I have read one of his books and am somewhat familiar with him. I read Feral a few years ago, it was much more of a UK slant and I thought it very interesting because I wasn't aware of some of the ecological issues the UK faced.
I think you are rather simplistic in relying on farmers to know their land to quantify soil. Farmers are farmers, they may be good at growing whatever crop they produce, but they aren't soil scientists. It's also simplistic to not take into account indigenous cultures and how devastating they were to megafauna prior to European colonization in the Americas. Many people prefer this kumbaya perspective of native cultures without considering for a moment they too are humans who have exploited the landscape at some point in time.
I'm curious why you called environmentalists techno-optimists? I definitely do not see tech involved in decoupling ag from nature. Again, I think you are incredibly simplistic in "learning from indigenous and peasant cultures that have retained sustainable relationships with their land..." because to me this sounds like you are meshing together all of those cultures into one without taking into account the historical facts for many of those cultures on their own land. Peasant cultures deforested the British Isles and much of Europe.
Looked up some of your names at the end, I recognized Diana Rodgers from her podcast. I was once vegetarian for a few years and also very into the permaculture and somewhat paleo movements. I have heard the rigmarole from both groups. There's a middle ground but also a ground that removes humans as the center of conversation.
Have you read anything by Benjamin Vogt? I highly recommend his book A New Garden Ethic---it isn't about meat or soil but it's about the human primacy we've placed on our ecosystems.
Anyway, I will be checking out Monbiot's book from the library so that I can come back and discuss this with a little more information than what you've shared here. Hopefully I can come back sometime this spring and chat more.
Thank you for reading George's book so I wouldn't have to! Did he talk about food waste? I believe it's at about a third of food produced is discarded even though it is edible. Maybe too simple a solution; not fancy at all.