Climate Crisis and the Democratic Prospect

Reviews / Votes

The book is a work of impressive scholarship that presents an engaging overview of a diverse range of green political theories. * Chris Shaw, University of Sussex * This book undertakes a valuable assessment of the challenge presented to democratic political systems by the future climate crisis. * Thomas O'Brien, Democratization * The book's discussion is accessible and engaging...Fischer provides an excellent introduction to the topic of participatory processes, interspersing case-study material with an overview of key theoretical insights from Dryzek, Bluehdorn, and Bookchin, amongst others. * Peter Tangney, Environmental Politics * Penetrating, illuminating, and ultimately hopeful! Frank Fischer's hard thinking for the hard times that lie ahead revitalizes both democratic theory and green theorybut it does far more. By grounding his theory in vibrant socio-ecological movements, from community forestry to transition towns to ecovillages the world over, Fischer uncovers the new life already emerging in the cracks of failing systems. Think of this book as political survival gear for the coming decades. * Karen Litfin, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Washington * An eminently important book on the politics of climate change at a time when liberal representative democracy has come under severe pressure from a number of sides. * Ingolfur Bluehdorn, Head of the Institute for Social Change and Stability, Vienna University of Economics and Business * Facing up to the climate crisis, Fischer insightfully poses afresh long-standing, yet recently neglected, questions in environmental thought. His new book thus offers an important point of departure that sharply challenges the current orthodoxy on democracy and the environment. * Douglas Torgerson, Professor Emeritus of Politics, Trent University * As more individuals and societies face the hard realities of the intensifying global climate emergency, Frank Fischer offers a critical and comprehensive environmental political theory for coping with the ethical and political challenges of the climate crisis. It carefully outlines pragmatic approaches to participatory governance and environmental democracy that will succeed. While not giving up on global agreements or national policies, his timely analysis returns us to local intentional communities to create fair, practical and robust ways of life to cope with rapid climate change. * Timothy W. Luke, University Distinguished Professor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. *