Review by Choice Review
Eisenstadt and Jones West examine the contradictions of Ecuadorian environmental politics during Rafael Correa's rule (2007--17). When Correa campaigned for the presidency in 2006, he embraced environmentalist rhetoric and supported the central role of indigenous peoples in determining environmental policies. In practice, however, Correa's government engaged in populist extractivism, relying on oil and mining revenue to expand social services. Correa's government consulted with regional indigenous leaders about their plans, but indigenous input was not binding. Moreover, Ecuador's indigenous interests are too varied to develop a unified environmental protection policy. Instead, the people most concerned with environmental protection are those who are vulnerable to environmental disruptions in areas where they have not yet, but might, occur. The authors therefore advocate for polycentric pluralism, in which actors from various local, national, and international groups cooperate based on their shared interest in environmental protection. Vulnerable indigenous communities, they assert, could better defend the environment via alliances with non-indigenous peoples who share their concerns, as well as with international scientists and activists. This insightful book will interest scholars and graduate students in the field of global environmentalism; undergraduates might find it difficult to follow. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students through faculty. --Erin E. O'Connor, Bridgewater State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
