Authors Fred Magdoff, Professor Emeritus of Plant and Soil Science at the University of Vermont, and John Bellamy Foster, Professor of Sociology at the University of Oregon, make a powerful statement in their latest collaboration, What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know about Capitalism. The book was conceived after a huge response to their article of the same name, originally published in the Monthly Review March 2010 issue.

The book opens with an unapologetic stance by its authors against capitalism. They unequivocally remark that any suggestion that ‘capitalism offers the solution to the environmental problem . . . (is) rooted in an absolute denial of reality’ (pp. 7–8). The tone for the book is quickly established through early calls for revolutionary action, as seen on page 8: ‘Put simply, it is essential to break with a system based on a single motive — the perpetual accumulation of capital . . . Such a break is a necessary, if not sufficient, condition for the creation of a new ecological civilisation’; and again on page 9: ‘(I)f humanity is going to survive this crisis, it will do so because it has exercised its capacity for human freedom, through social struggle, in order to create a whole new world — in coevolution with the planet.’

What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know about Capitalism is an important book on many levels. The authors’ ability to condense a large number of very complex environmental issues in a short and concise manner is commendable. Large-scale environmental issues provide context to the magnitude of the problem, while localised examples of devastation provide strong arguments for its impact, cause for concern and urgent need to respond. The obvious need to do something about the horrendous environmental impact of our consumption also begs the question why the title restricts the readership to environmentalists when it is obvious that every citizen needs to understand the seriousness of the ecological issues facing our planet. Perhaps instead its subtitle, A Citizen's Guide to Capitalism and the Environment, is more apt.

Equally, the graphic but justified description of the tyranny of capitalism is a reality that all citizens, not just environmentalists, should be exposed to. As the book continues, the enormity of the catastrophic nature of the villainous character of ‘capitalism’ unfolds. The villain, large in size and power, seeks to conquer all in pursuit of profits. Capitalism is portrayed as forcing powerless workers to work for less on tasks their conscience doesn't agree with, while forcing out socially and environmentally spirited independent companies in the name of expansion and growth. Reports of capitalism's ever-expanding and insatiable appetite to grow by any means are accurate, damning and undeniable. The emotive language depicts the far-reaching damage such exploits reap on the environment and communities at its mercy. Such a depiction leaves the reader, as an individual within a capitalist society, with a sense of hopelessness as to how to stop this juggernaut called capitalism. Unfortunately, it also appears to fail to acknowledge individuals’ roles within the capitalist machine — as CEOs, board members, shareholders and consumers. Surprisingly, the book seemingly takes responsibility away from the individual, instead painting them as helpless conformists who have blindly bought into the lie that consumption will lead to happiness. In fact, individuals are depicted in the book as powerless workers, CEOs who would face being fired if they didn't pursue profits through any means possible, or consumers with no voice to be heard. Doing so I feel absolves individuals from any responsibility for their part in the machine and its impact on our environment; a depiction reiterated as the authors are quick to dismiss the potential impact of corporate social responsibility accountability to shareholders or the impact of individuals’ ethical consumption choices.

This is a surprising departure from other literature that suggests shareholders’ decisions to invest in organisations are becoming more influenced by corporate social responsibility (CSR) statements and triple-bottom line reporting (Lyon & Maxwell, Reference Lyon and Maxwell2008). CSR is seen as having a growing emphasis in the pursuit of competitive advantage in the attraction of shareholders, staff, customers and other businesses up and down the supply chain (Lyon & Maxwell, Reference Lyon and Maxwell2008). I must concede these are hardly altruistic motives, but they still represent the power of the market in demanding change. Consumer-citizen movements toward ethical consumption, such as the Fairtrade movement, provide more examples of a market-driven shift toward social and environmental good (Nicholls & Opal, Reference Nicholls and Opal2005).

The book quite quickly pushes such initiatives aside as worthless green washing, with the assertion that ‘it is clear that mere economic tinkering . . . will not be enough to solve the dramatic and potential catastrophic problems we face’ (p. 30). This may be true, but I'm left with the impression that the authors suggest that any shift of priorities in a capitalist society represented in movements such as Fairtrade, organic productions and other consumer-citizens initiatives aren't worth consideration. I would have liked to see some acknowledgment that we as consumers, shareholders and employees are a part of the problem, and therefore the changes we make within the capitalist system can at least be acknowledged as a part of a bigger, more revolutionary solution.

As I read the book I felt increasingly uneasy. The stark truth of the degradation of the environment fills me with a sense of anger and hopelessness, along with my contempt for the capitalist society that put us here (and which I know I as a consumer contribute to). I read on, anticipating the authors’ solution.

That solution, it is suggested, is socialism; a complete revolution in how we think about our social structure, our accumulation of wealth and/or relationships with the planet and with each other. It calls for a total reprogramming of our way of thinking. The authors draw on socialist theorists such as Sweezy, Lebowitz, and Marx to frame their support for an eco-socialist solution. Their cries for a bottom-up solution, where capitalists must be dispossessed of their power and wealth, economies are localised and resources shared fairly among all are clearly articulated. The authors’ suggestions for how we can make a start are provided as a list of agenda items that require immediate action, although I'm left feeling unsure of my individual role in actioning many of these.

However, the book has awakened me to the need to reconsider the paradigm in which I have been looking for solutions. The authors assertion that ‘capitalism is so much a part of our lives that it is invisible, like the air we breathe’, has made me acknowledge that my personal efforts thus far have been steeped within a capitalist perspective. Yet I can't help but feel there are legitimate initiatives that can be pursued within the existing capitalist society that may provide a smoother transition into more revolutionary solutions.

I put the book down questioning my own beliefs about what I think is the solution, and anxious about the downward spiral we are in. That feeling of uneasiness, yet desire to further investigate how I can be a part of a solution and what form that solution should take, is in itself reason enough to have read this book.