To be an environmentalist early in the twenty-first century is always to
be defending, arguing, acknowledging the hurdles we face in our efforts
to protect wild places and fight climate change. But let's be honest:
hedging has never inspired anyone.
So what if we stopped hedging? What if we grounded our efforts to solve
environmental problems in hope instead, and let nature make our case for
us? That's what George Monbiot does in Feral, a lyrical, unabashedly
romantic vision of how, by inviting nature back into our lives, we can
simultaneously cure our "ecological boredom" and begin repairing
centuries of environmental damage. Monbiot takes readers on an
enchanting journey around the world to explore ecosystems that have been
"rewilded" freed from human intervention and allowed--in some cases for
the first time in millennia--to resume their natural ecological
processes. We share his awe, and wonder, as he kayaks among dolphins and
seabirds off the coast of Wales and wanders the forests of Eastern
Europe, where lynx and wolf packs are reclaiming their ancient hunting
grounds. Through his eyes, we see environmental success--and begin to
envision a future world where humans and nature are no longer separate
and antagonistic, but are together part of a single, healing world.
Monbiot's commitment is fierce, his passion infectious, his writing
compelling. Readers willing to leave the confines of civilization and
join him on his bewitching journey will emerge changed--and ready to
change our world for the better.
