A New Conservation Politics

Despite many successes in the field of conservation, species extinction rates continue to climb and wild areas and habitats continue to be lost. Many look to more (or better) biology and ecology to solve the problem but the obstacles are not just scientific but political. To stop the 6th great extinction the conservation movement must become much stronger, more tenacious, and more effective. By learning from its own history and especially from the movements that abolished slavery, brought down apartheid, changed gender relations, and expanded democratic rights, conservationists can become more successful. This book brings together in one place and in a highly usable format the lessons of those movements culled from practitioners and academic analysts. "e;Protecting Earth's rich web of life, and our only known living companions in the universe, depends upon people caring enough to act. This book shows conservationists how to evoke the caring and action necessary to change policy and ultimately society."e; Paul R Ehrlich, Bing Professor of Population Studies, Stanford University and author of The Dominant Animal: Human Evolution and the Environment This timely book by David Johns explains why facts alone don t motivate and mobilize people to care for the natural world. Even better, Johns spells out what will work, based on a frank and informed assessment of human nature applied to social and political movements. If you would rather see change than be right, this readable and authoritative guide should be your bible. Michael Soul , Professor Emeritus, Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz For me, this is a truly fascinating book. I spend much of my time writing--trying to write the stories we need to tell--and the rest of it helping run national and global mobilizations on climate change (Step It Up and now 350.org). I think David Johns has done a tremendous job of linking together insights about useful rhetoric and very practical notions about organizing. If you're trying to save a river, a forest, or a planet you need to read this book. Bill McKibben, Scholar-in-Residence, Middlebury College

Despite many successes in the field of conservation, speciesextinction rates continue to climb and wild areas and habitatscontinue to be lost. Many look to more (or better) biology andecology to solve the problem but the obstacles are not justscientific but political. To stop the 6th great extinction theconservation movement must become much stronger, more tenaciousand more effective. By learning from its own history and especiallyfrom the movements that abolished slavery, brought down apartheidchanged gender relations, and expanded democratic rightsconservationists can become more successful.This book brings together in one place and in a highly usableformat the lessons of those movements culled from practitioners andacademic analysts."Protecting Earth's rich web of life, and our only known livingcompanions in the universe, depends upon people caring enough toact. This book shows conservationists how to evoke the caring andaction necessary to change policy and ultimately society." Paul REhrlich, Bing Professor of Population Studies, Stanford Universityand author of The Dominant Animal: Human Evolution andthe Environment"This timely book by David Johns explains why facts alonedon't motivate and mobilize people to care for the naturalworld. Even better, Johns spells out what will work, based on afrank and informed assessment of human nature applied to social andpolitical movements. If you would rather see change than be rightthis readable and authoritative guide should be your bible."Michael Soulé, Professor Emeritus, Environmental StudiesUniversity of California, Santa Cruz"For me, this is a truly fascinating book. I spend much ofmy time writing--trying to write the stories we need to tell--andthe rest of it helping run national and global mobilizations onclimate change (Step It Up and now target="_blank">350.org). I think David Johns has done atremendous job of linking together insights about useful rhetoricand very practical notions about organizing. If you're trying tosave a river, a forest, or a planet you need to read thisbook." Bill McKibben, Scholar-in-Residence, MiddleburyCollege

Acknowledgments viiIntroduction: hard times ixPart 1 The Gauntlet: we have met the enemy and they are both us and them 11 Us 32 Them: inertia, inequality, and propaganda 133 Them: power 294 Why we act - from the double helix to world systems and sunspots 43Part 2 Conservation as if life depended on it 915 The role of vision 97Part 2A Forging the hammer 1036 The centrality of mobilization to politics 1057 From vision to goals 1118 From goals to strategy: answering strategic questions 1159 Who will do the heavy lifting: targets of mobilization 12910 Understanding the targets of mobilization; and opponents 14911 Messengers and channels for mobilization 17512 Mobilization and messages 20713 Message as story and symbol 23714 Mobilization and action 26115 Overarching tactical concerns 26716 Monitoring and evaluation 275Part 2B The care and maintenance of the hammer 27917 Organization and identity 28718 Organization, action, and ritual 30519 Organization, efficacy, and repression 31520 The life cycle of organizations 33321 The need for many organizations 34122 A final question 345Bibliography 347Index 373