Analysis of From the Ground Up by Luke Cole and Sheila Foster - Book Report/Review Example

From the Ground Up by Luke Cole and Sheila Foster (Book Review) The book From the Ground Up by Luke Cole and Sheila Foster is an outstanding piece of literature that explores one of the most contemporary and vital issues of today. The book is centered on the movement in the US against environmental racism which is a relatively recent development in the sphere of environmental studies. The authors dig into the roots of the movement and trace its growth across different locales of the US such as Chester, California, Arizona, Pennsylvania and the Kettleman city.

They use the weapon of powerful storytelling to convey the facts and details associated with this long-time activism. A number of detailed case studies have been presented in the book to elaborate on the struggle taken up by different communities to protect their interests against the corporate polluters. The historical causes and the contemporary issues related to environmental racism have been subjected to a meticulous analysis by the authors who view the issue from economic, legal and social perspectives.

The idea of environmental racism gained immense recognition in the US in 1994, when President Bill Clinton sanctioned an Executive Order relating to Environmental Justice in the same year. The concept of environmental racism relates to the uneven distribution of the impacts of environmental threats on people on the basis of their race, ethnicity and level of income. The activities which are detrimental to the environment, such as the dumping of toxic wastes and the pollution caused by factories, apparently have a more adverse impact on the less developed nations and the low-income groups of the society.

Today one can easily observe the prevalence of political mobilization and social activism in this field right from the grassroots level with the aim of eliminating such discrimination. Thousands of activists in different regions all over the globe are struggling hard to ensure the welfare and health of their families and communities and looking forward to improve their quality of life. This movement for environmental justice, which has now evolved into one of the most active and remarkable movements in the US, has been comprehensively examined in the book From the Ground Up by Luke Cole and Sheila Foster.

  The book suggests that litigation may not always be the most effective solution to this tug of war between the wealthy corporates and the low-income strata. We should rather try to bring about equilibrium between the power of the people on one hand and the power of wealth on the other. This can be done by cultivating political skills and boosting the confidence of the activists and the backward communities. Though the book draws greatly from legal literature, it does not imply that it is meant to be of significance and interest to lawyers only.

The annotated bibliography that effectively complements the book is a very valuable contribution to the already existing literature on this issue which has the potential of soon becoming a subject of global significance. The struggles to achieve environmental justice, as portrayed in the book, have been and hopefully will continue to be immensely successful in bringing about massive transformation not only in individuals and communities, but also in the entire nation at large.