Civil society and environmental activists have gained recognition as strong forces of resistance to a common adversary—globalization. Considering this commonality of purpose, one might expect their links to be extensive and profound. But, as Mike Carr argues in this new book, this is not necessarily the case, or at least not to date. Carr, a Vancouver-based educator and activist in the social justice, peace and ecology movements, argues that there is strong, even transformational potential in forging greater links between civil society and bioregionalism.

The book's main contribution rests on Carr's premise that bioregionalism and civil society have much to offer each other. As it turns out, his premise is solid enough and he offers elaborate and expert analyses and critiques of both civil society and bioregionalism. He makes a persuasive case that there has been a limited interface; little of the civil society literature and practice includes an ecological perspective, and bioregionalism, for its part, has seldom made use of the more powerful strategies of civil society activists. There is, as Carr suggests, a logical relationship between the two, but not without some significant complications.

Carr begins with a thoughtful discussion of globalization and its negative impacts and tendencies, then seeks to unravel the complicated nature of what is known as civil society. Along the way, he also discusses social capital and makes an argument for “ecocentric social capital.” Like others, he acknowledges that the anti-globalization movement is a work in progress with an uncertain future, and he draws inspiration from, among others, the Zapatista movement in Mexico. In his theoretical treatment of civil society, he draws principally from the work of Jean Cohen and Andrew Arato and builds on that foundation by adding the missing dimension of an ecological context. In doing so, he makes a significant contribution to the respective and interrelated literatures.

In choosing to focus on bioregionalism, Carr explores a specific branch of the environmental movement, one that, despite its considerable history in North America and Europe, remains relatively obscure, partly by design. The bioregional focus is generally well chosen, since Carr is probably correct in arguing that, as a decentralized, place-based movement that encourages “reinhabitation,” bioregionalism is a logical counterpoint to the negative impacts of globalization. This argument is not without limits, however; as Carr and others point out, bioregional thinkers and practitioners have tended to resist initiatives to make their movement more “strategic,” and usually draw the line at networking within an overarching emphasis on the local. Carr does address the paradoxes of bioregionalism, and offers some insightful comments on the sometimes destructive dogmatism of ideologically driven social movements. Finally, while it would be interesting to explore links beyond bioregionalism and into other branches of the environmental movement, that is undoubtedly the subject of another book, and Carr has wisely limited his discussion.

The book includes a number of relevant case studies of bioregionalism in practice, and useful examples of the “horizontal” and “vertical” strategies of civil society activists. The detail is rich, reflecting the author's longtime involvement at various levels. Breaking with some bioregional thinkers, Carr argues that broader political change should be an explicit strategy, along with their locally based, horizontal efforts. Whether or not readers agree, Carr offers a balanced history and outlook on bioregionalism to support his case.

Carr acknowledges that, if the linking of civil society and bioregionalism will support his vision of political and economic transformation, it will probably be a long-term, intergenerational process. In the meantime, he has made a useful and provocative contribution to the literature. The book is well referenced and, in keeping with its strong bioregional story, features a number of anecdotes, poems and maps that convey a vivid impression of bioregionalism in practice. It should appeal to activists who are deeply immersed in the movements, as well as to critics and observers who view them from a greater distance.