A Critique of a Book on Environmental Issues

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.