Choosing Our Future

Ann Taylor is Britain's first Cabinet-level politician with specific responsibility for the environment. In this book she presents a personal but highly rigorous analysis of the environmental problems facing us and of the ways in which they can be tackled. Her arguments draw upon a tradition of practical Labour politics. She is concerned that environmental problems should be seen as real and immediate rather than simply the stuff of political rhetoric. Politicians should be aware that they are responsible for the redirection of government policies at local, national and international levels. Her proposals are set within a feasible economic framework. She considers for example the possibilities for working with industry and the business community. Central to the philosophy of the book is the notion of personal empowerment. Individuals who are environmentally aware can help to bring effective and informed pressure on the political process. It is the responsibility of the government to enable people to use this power, by providing the education that will allow them to make informed choices and the framework, institutions and resources that will make their decisions count.
This book should be of interest to undergraduates of politics and development, members of the Green and Labour movements, and general readership.