From Naked Ape to Superspecies: Humanity and the Global Eco-Crisis (David Suzuki Institute)

For millennia, we lived in harmony with the Earth, taking only what we required to survive. But in just the past few centuries, we have used our powers to satisfy our obsession with consumption and new technology, without regard for the consequences. And in doing so, we have exploited our surroundings on an unprecedented scale. In this revised and updated edition of From Naked Ape to Superspecies, David Suzuki and Holly Dressel lucidly describe how we have evolved beyond our needs, trampling other species, believing that we can make the Earth work the way we want it to. And they introduce us to the people who are fighting back, those who are resisting the inexorable advance of the "global economy" juggernaut, the people whose voices are difficult to hear over the din of corporate public relations machines. We learn about how human arrogance—demonstrated by our disregard for the small and microscopic species that constitute the Earth’s engine and our reckless use of technological inventions like powerful herbicides or genetically engineered crops—is threatening the health of our children and the safety of our food supply.

In this revised and updated edition, David Suzuki and Holly Dressel explore the ways in which human beings have evolved beyond their needs, trampling other species, believing that they can make the Earth work the way they want it to. The book examines how human arrogance — demonstrated by a disregard for the small and microscopic species that constitute the Earth’s engine, and the reckless use of technological inventions like powerful herbicides or genetically engineered crops — is threatening the health of the populace and the safety of the food supply. But this is not simply a doom-and-gloom scenario or alarmist creed. The authors introduce readers to the people who are fighting back, those who are resisting the inexorable advance of the “global economy” juggernaut. From Naked Ape to Superspecies offers strategies for making the right turn at this crossroads and prospering by reshaping the place of humanity in nature.

"David Suzuki and Holly Dressel show us how human mismanagement threatens the health of our children and the safety of our food supply, throwing into sharp relief the worldwide dynamics of trade, finance, culture and science. With fresh examples and analyses throughout and a completely new introductory chapter, they further explore the alarming rise of globalization and the ever-burgeoning escalation of multinational corporate power, while shedding greater light on the pitfalls and problems of biotechnology." "But this book isn't just a catalogue of how humans are relentlessly damaging the planet's air, soil and water and precipitating biodiversity collapse; it's also a clarion call to action that highlights how individuals everywhere - from anti-globalization protesters to farmers challenging the pervasiveness of industrially manipulated seeds and foods - are trying to alter the perilous course we seem to have set for ourselves."--BOOK JACKET From Naked Ape to Super Species takes an unflinching look at where we are at this unprecedented moment in history. Suzuki and Dressel reveal that a clear and present environmental danger is staring us in the face, a danger that is screened out by perceptual filters formed by our current values and beliefs. And should the truth get through to us, we experience a paralysis in the face of adversity that is fueled by a sense of impotence and by the psychological and institutional barriers that stymie us.But there is good news. Experts maintain we still have time to avoid this breakdown if we slow down and turn onto alternative roads that will lead to a life still rich in opportunity, choice, and quality. But to begin applying brakes and turning aside, we must see with clarity the we're on now, how we got here, and what the other possibilities are. Humanity and the Global Eco-Crisis NAT011000