ECOTOPIA EMERGING – Novel by Ernest Callenbach, Banyan Tree ’81, Bantam ’82, book review, micheal sunanda 5-08

Its an Eco~REVOLUTION in NW 1980s for new political “Survivalist” party of bioregion-al ecology & local independence, demanding a new nation without: cars, nuclear power, military & giant industry.

After being a eco-freak from ECOTOPIA (E.C. ’75) I love “E. Emerging” now because it’s a deep ‘preview’ of the history of how Ecotopia had to form a separate nation from ‘neo con’ USA. In fact, its very prophetic of what’s happening NOW on 100 frontiers of politics, ecology, climate, freedom, war, industry, pollution, etc. It has several simultaneous plots, groups of locals, mostly secretly con-spiring together & against their enemies, with a proactive slant on natural self-reliant living.

The main characters are Vera Allwen ‘52’ the wise & dramatic leader (& president later) of Survivalist party’ & friends; teenager Lou Swift, family & clan in Bolinas, where she invents a new super solar panel. We meet many new inspired Survivalists working, arguing & surging together for their freedom. The complex depth of each scene & whole epic eco-revolution of “David Vs Goliath” is exciting if you dig the current “peak oil, global warming – climate & food crisis & Iraq war, EPA & FDA battles against organic honesty & purity of US ecology & agriculture. Survivalist party gives ‘Crimes Against Nature’ awards to the most destructive activities yearly or so. They have any Eco-topia Institute that researches practical solu-tions to many social, political & pollution problem, they promote & report on progress

It’s very inspiring tales how the grassroots movement grew up in homes, business & neighborhoods, local & mass-media trends of movers & shakers, volunteers & spies. EE tracks NW coasters suffering under neo-cons in 1980s, without naming Bush or Reagan. It has many new twists like Ecotopian “shadow government” that follows big government around to learn inside scoop & launch Survivalist PR responses & solutions to corrupt & toxic, government & industry plots.

EE has a strange layered sequence, like Tom Robbins, books, of main characters coming in & out, with many side trips, encounters & related trends of friends, newcomers, govern-ments, business & radical eco-science invent-ing & using self-reliant devises for independent living with nature off the power grid. Many intimate profiles of how strait & square Americans became Ecotopians gradually & suddenly. Callenbach gives short stories of how potential Survivalists were attracted into the grass-roots movement to help the mini-revolution with honesty, openess & coop-erating in new ways, more naturally & self-reliant together. He even portrays some local rebels as heroes helping the Survivalist campaigns.

EE has some deep analysis of US corruption of GNP progress is based on waste as source of profits, not efficiency, health, democracy or honesty, etc. EE has a funny slow moving free the marijuana & hemp underground transitions. Also the biomass into biogas energy source movement is given exposure. EE presages 15 years ahead of recent local energy & global movements now peaking in last decade: WTO, World Bank, FRB-IRS, oil wars, toxic waste, etc. EE give detailed & charming down-home habits & attitudes in ‘realife’ scenes of dozens of players, the stars & cameos in the eco/gov conflicts over controlling damage to people & bioregions & surging independence movement, like NOW! Only the names have changed! Several characters go exploring nature given amazing eco-cycle portraits of bioregions wildlife, trees, species & patterns in food web.

He describes many local eco-businesses, like how the “Mini-Wind” power company works run by democratically by employees changing their systems as they need for improving jobs, benefits, etc. So many mini-stories are prototype scenes for local pro-Natural community business & volunteers cooperating together, improving protecting & balancing out the invading agencies, poisons, fears, etc. Like co-operative housing which began in 1970s. One of Lou’s lover/friends is a R&R band player with strong eco-edge into playing very fun, radical, funny & friendly concerts, rather than selling records for profit. Every mini-chapter exposes Ecotopian beliefs & awareness, ways & relationships, certainly strange or scary to most Americans.

An proposed Survivalist pre Ecotopia constitution has 10 points,:

not how they are applied yet.

1. No extinction of other species

2. No nuclear weapons or nuclear plants

3. No Manufacturing carcinogenic (cancer

causing) or mutagenic (mutation

causing) substances.

4. No adulterants in food

5. No descrimination based on: sex, race, age,

religion, or ethnic origin.

6. No private cars

7. No advertiser-controlled or broadcast TV

8. No limited liability corporations

9. No absentee ownership or control – one

employee, one vote.

10. No growth in population

Several budding movements in NW Cali, Oregon & Washington from 1970s appear in ‘Ecotopia Emerging’:like: “Reinhabitation, Bioregionalism, Social Equality, sexual & marijuana liberation, Cascadia, Jefferson, Solar power, recycling, Permaculture, bicycling etc. Compared to EE the current Pacific Green party does more with ‘damage control’ campaigns to stop toxic corrupt things, than offer a complete or radical restructuring government & community life of green democratic neighborhood power.