A Critique of a Book on
Environmental Issues
The book Green Planet, part of
the Oxford Dominoes series, is an absorbing collection of the stories that have
made environmental history. Written by Christine Lindop (2004), it engages the
reader in these critical, global issues and at
the same time, it provides new insights into the way we can help save the world
we live in.
In the first chapter, Lindop (2004) details how marvelously a journey,
the HMS Beagle journey, changed
scientists’ ideas about life on Earth. During Darwin’s five-year research on
the ship, he developed the most controversial and fascinating theories that
have revolutionized our knowledge of the world. “Finally, in 1858, Darwin’s
book The Origin of Species arrived in
bookshops. All 1,250 books were sold on the first day” (Lindop, 2004, p. 4).
The second chapter gives a detailed description of the well known
organization Greenpeace, from its history and its main goals to the different
protests lodged to protect our environment. In the following chapter “Going green” the author invites us to
reflect on how our actions damage and destroy our environment as we read the
unbelievable, amusing story of cats arriving in parachutes in the villages of
Borneo in the 1950’s.
In the fourth chapter “Tropical
rainforests” the author provides us with relevant, valuable information to
reflect on the need to preserve our natural environment. We also become
acquainted with the life and death of Chico Mendes. We learn how his fight to
save the Brazilian rainforest led to his death and immediate, government
recognition for his struggle. “Now in Brazil there is a reserve in the
rainforest that has Chico Mendes’s name. And Brazil remembered Chico Mendes
when it decided to be the place for the Earth Summit in 1992” (Lindop, 2004,
p.23).
In the following chapter, “Creating
safe places”, the author fully describes some well-known national parks and
how they were created. We also explore the lives of two men, John Muir and Alan
Rabinowitz together with their significant, outstanding contributions not only
to wild places but also to many animals in danger of extinction.
In chapters six and eight, we learn everything about penguins and
tigers, why these creatures are so unique, the reasons why the number of
species is decreasing dramatically and a full description of how different
countries are working to protect them. All these issues remind the reader about
the urgent need to protect these endangered species.
Especially interesting was the author’s account of the terrible accident
in Chernobyl dealt with in chapter seven. Lindop (2004) successfully
illustrates these events with the story of a woman living there when the
explosion occurred. Nadezhda Nikolaevna Timoshenko says of her experience, “
‘Suddenly it started raining . . . Next morning I saw some strange red spots on
my skin’ ” (as cited in Lindop, 2004, p.44).
Green planet provides the reader with a range of
activities at the end of each chapter to consolidate vocabulary and to fully
comprehend the story. The final section of the book offers project work as an
effective strategy to encourage ongoing research on environmental issues.
This explorative, interesting
book, is thoroughly recommended since the reader not only gains extensive
knowledge about environmental issues but also becomes aware of these serious
problems and how to deal with them. Not only has Lindop (2004) presented some
relevant, up-to-date information; she has also presented it with the most
gripping and entertaining stories.
References
Lindop, C. (2004). Green planet.
Oxford. Oxford University Press.
