Customer Reviews

Global Spin: The Corporate Assault on Environmentalism

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I was recently invited to present seminars on the environmental backlash at Princeton and Stanford Universities, and Beder's well-researched book provided me with excellent information on some of the tactics employed by the political right aimed at undermining science. Most importantly, I want to put the negative reviewer's comments (below) into some perspective: in 1998, ALL environmental NGO's (including Greenpeace), spent a paltry 4.7 million dollars lobbying members of Congress, whereas all self interest groups spent a combined total of 76.2 million dollars on diverse issues ranging across the political spectrum. In the SAME year, the agribusiness industry alone spent 119.3 million dollars lobbying members of congress, whereas the combined expenditures of all industries added up to a staggering 1.2 billion dollars. This money includes only that used exclusively for lobbying, and not the "soft" money corporations use also to buy political influence. So, to answer the critic below, I would reiterate, we need to put this in perspective.

I don't want to use my position as a scientist to defend NGO's when they exaggerate problems, but I am frankly much more concerned when immensely powerful multinationals attempt to manipulate science. At present, corporate power is being used question the seriousness, or even the existence, of environmental problems such as global warming and rates of species extinction, even though these are areas where there is broad consensus amongst my peers. As Paul Ehrlich said, this has very little to do with science, but more to do with dirty politics with the agenda of looting and polluting for profit.

I applaud Beder for her efforts and this book reflects that.

Sharon Beder has done a fabulous job in assembling a vast amount of high quality information on a crucial topic. She clearly demonstrates, with numerous case studies, how transnational corporations and elite "big money" special interests have used every devious trick imaginable in a chilling attempt to destroy the environmental movement and our democracy along with it. Those of us who read ecological works and the alternative press know a lot about the greedy and "deceptively green" tactics employed by the corporate world and rightwing pseudo-"think-tanks." But Beder, who draws on a wealth of material from the U.S., U.K., and Australia, takes us much further into that truly evil world of cunning and mean-spirited avarice. Her introduction, which is alone worth the price of the book, gives a succinct overview of the multi-faceted problem. She then details the horrific rise of numerous, deceptive, corporate front-groups; the nasty "wise use movement" (which exploits the fear of rural peoples and scapegoats environmentalists rather than bad economic policies and greedy corporations); the creation of expensive, phony, anti-green "grassroots campaigns"; the terrifying use of free-speech threatening SLAPPS ("strategic lawsuits against public participation"); the undeserved power of "conservative," pro-business, pseudo "think-tanks"; ecology-bashing P.R. firms; slick "green marketing"; youth-targeted propaganda; and the tragic failure of our major media to inform us about what's actually going on. Beder also has a special chapter on the dioxin controversy and shows how corporate interests have duped us and the media concerning the real dangers of this most poisonous chemical substance. If you value the health of your family, loved ones, progeny, and Earth's ecosystems, buy and read this splendid, eye-opening book!! I agree with reviewers' testimonials on the backcover blurb, which state "this is such an import! ant book that I would put it on every school curriculum" and "[this is] the most important contribution to the environmental debate that I have read."

A first rate unmasking of the continuing corporate assault on democracy. The insidious manner in which the PR industry undermines truth and the very conditions necessary for democratic participation reveals these thugs to be the moral equivalents of J. Goebbels. What these parasites won't do for a buck, will freighten and astound you. One wonders how these people can look themselves in the mirror. Especially illustrative is Beder's 9th chapter on Dioxin and the Chlorine Industry's investment in PR. The recent revelations about Big Tabacco only serves to support the authenticity of Beder's work.

Re: Greenpeace. Earlier this year Beder released a second edition of Global Spin in which she asks the question 'Is Greenpeace Selling Out?' This new inclusion, as well as the new section on the Sydney Olympics, adds to Beder's valuable evaluation of the global political, social and economic climate. An excellent read!

What customer reviewer, Timothy Conway, said in his review--right on. There's not much I can add, except to say that if you don't get angry enough to join an environmental activist group after reading this book, YOU ARE PROBABLY A ZOMBIE!

The Evil Empire is alive and well and operating especially well within the Republican Party here in the US! I knew Ronnie Reagan did harm, but I never realized just how much harm!

I just appreciate Sharon Beder sharing the information with us all. She has done a great service to the environmental movement by infiltrating and gathering this "intelligence".

Hey, this has become a WAR, with corporate libertarians using terrorist tactics on all fronts; propaganda, brainwashing, attacking private citizens who speak out, and other tactics previously used by the Soviets. (The US corporations learned well from the Soviets, didn't they?)

This book should scare you silly, whether you're an environmentalist, or just a citizen who is still naive enough to think the constitution is intact in this country.

Well written and researched overview of the methods utilized by corporations to influence and dominate ecological discourse. Using the words and documents of the corporations, Beder shows how they consistantly (big surprise) put profits over the health and well-being of the community... Extremely relevant book, particularly with the most inept and bought president in the history of the nation in a position to enforce the corporate agenda...

Very good expose, naming details, of the campaign to discredit environmentalism by the various conservative business groups at risk from public awareness of the issues. From the use of fronts, to the thinktanks to the public relations industry, the account shows how public opinion, which favors some kind of action on these crucial issues, has been consistently thwarted by the massive onslaught of opinion-manipulation.

Its hard to convey the value of this book by just writing a review.

Not only does it gives huge amounts of referenced data on what is going on with corporations and the environment, but it also clairfies how its all just about monster, money-making trans-national corporations who are out of control, and who are not even really trying to move towards the kind of business model outlined in wx3 natcap dot org, and to make it worse many of those trans-national corporations are themselves going down the tubes as outlined in wx3 fingleton dot net.

The same author has another majorly insightful book on the subject of the work-ethic.

You gotta get 'em.

The truth really does help to set us free.

Sharon Baders book is a must for anyone trying to understand the way in which powerful corporate interests seek to undermine environmental groups and non government organisations. It shows the way "astro-turf" lobbying occurs, through the setting up of dummy "citizen greoups". For people trying to understand the growth of climate change denialism, it is a good introduction to how corporations distort scientific results. Paul and Anne Ehrlich's "Betrayal of Science and Reason", and Naomi Klein's "No Logo" are good companion books that fill the picture in more.

To anyone trying to understand the "forces" that activists face, this is a well researched and authoritative text.

Dr Beder takes the corporations of the world to task for trying to defend themselves against the global warming juggernaut. While in some cases this is justified, the book reveals more about Dr Beder's own ideological blind spots than about the nature of the debate.

While maligning corporations, Beder ignores the machinations of groups such as Greenpeace, the Pew Charitable trust and other large, wealthy organisations efforts to hype global warming. Thus, the reader is left with the false impression that the pressure is all in one (the corporate) direction.

Greenies will love this book, because it will stroke their prejudices while not revealing what they don't want to hear (ie, the truth about efforts of Greenpeace, etc, to surrepticiously influence the debate).