Green Fire

While on the yoga retreat this past weekend, between astanga yoga workouts and loading on carbs, I read a few books. One of them was Ian Cohen's autobiography / history of Australian Green Activism book: "Green Fire".

Sean Marler, Greens candidate for Moorooka in the last local elections, brought a bunch of nature books along, and I found it among them.

From the back of the book:

Ian Cohen, the Greens member of the NSW Upper House, has worked for the green movement since 1980. His primary focus has been the refinement of direct action tactics and the consolidation of a broad-based people's movement for social change. He is a founding member of several environmental protest groups, including the Broken Head Protection Committee, Stop the Ocean Pollution, Nightcap Action Group and the Clean Seas Coalition, and has campaigned electorally for the Greens since 1984.

At the end of the book he includes an appendix examining the concept of NVA, Non Violent Action. He closes with these two paragraphs, which I think apply to any revolutionary movement that seeks to foment change in the social status quo:

The understanding of issues comes with continuing debate. When a theory translates into a mass movement it can become a dogma. This packaging simplifies its complexity. It assumes that people cannot understand the nuances of the broader philosophy thus disseminating a rigid set of ideas. This leads to a limited form of radicalism which is either blindly adopted or rejected. Reactionary forces either radical or conservative will not further any cause.

In a truly revolutionary movement a society can grow from the unexpected, evolve from processes rather than try to control them. Participants in change must accept that the movement cannot unfold exactly as pre-planned. Respect for the diversity of ideas and actions of individuals is what makes the movement powerful.

The book is interesting for a grounding on environmental issues in Australia, and a history of direct action. Parallels can be drawn between the direct actions of Australian environmentalists and Australian Hare Krishnas, their civil disobedience and a change in the social status quo as a result. There are important lessons in this book for the future for both environmentalists and Hare Krishnas.

After reading it I got a renewed sense that we are only on the face of the planet for a few short years, and our role is to responsibly steward it. The same mentality that leads someone to say: "God gave man dominion over the Earth, that's why we eat the animals" leads to exploitation and pollution of the environment. Our sacred duty is the protection of the water, the soil, the forests, and the animals.

You can download a pdf of Green Fire from Ian's website for free.