A Blue New Deal

Through its examination of ocean politics, this week's review addresses current challenges and offers steps to help preserve our waters.

Posted on July 24, 2023 in Reviews of the Month

A Blue New Deal: Why We Need a New Politics for the Ocean

Armstrong, Chris. Yale, 2022
272p bibl index, 9780300259742 $30.00, 9780300270402 $18.00, 9780300264999

Climate change is real, and the planet is in crisis. In response, many politicians and activists are pushing for a Green New Deal, concentrating on land-based sustainable energy and reduced carbon emissions. Unfortunately, this focus ignores something that might be even more critical: the oceans. Forgetting about the importance of oceans is easy because the majority of people live away from them; yet life began there, and water covers seven-tenths of the planet. Even worse is forgetting that oceans serve in a number of critical roles, ranging from moderating the temperature of Earth and pushing weather patterns to providing the means of existence for many people. Armstrong (Univ. of Southampton, UK) does a wonderful job in this volume of discussing the importance of oceans to people’s lives and their inherent connection to them. This alone makes the book a valuable read. What really sets it apart is that it also gets into ocean politics and provides tangible policy changes that could help preserve this precious resource for the future.

Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals; general readers.
Reviewer: J. S. Ashley, Eastern Illinois University
Interdisciplinary Subjects: Environmental Studies
Subject: Social & Behavioral Sciences – Political Science – Political Theory
Choice Issue: Mar 2023

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