Tzeporah Berman

This is not only a memoir from a long-time enviornmental activist with a long history of successes, although it is worthwhile just for the reflections on these and the lessons they've taught her, it is also a lucid and highly readable (perhaps thanks to the co-author) account of grappling with the complexities of environmental progress: how do you weigh environmental protection against job creation? What if the jobs are for impoverished first nations communities? What is the right balance between boardroom negotiations and street protest? Is China transitioning more successfully to a post-fossil fuel economy because it is NOT a democracy--and if so, what does that say about democracies? And if you are offered a high-profile job of fourteen-hour days to move climate change politices forward around the world but it means moving your family and two young sons to another continent, do you feel more guilty for saying yes (and not experiencing as much of their childhood) or no (and not working as hard to preserve their future)?

I found it gripping; I've sticky-tagged, highlighted and noted by copy half to death. Highly recommended for anyone, but especially my environmentally-aware mom friends who wonder how to make more of a difference. What makes Tzeporah's story remarkable is how approachable she comes across, how much like any frazzled mother you might run across in a grocery store--except that, you know, she's director of climate change for Greenpeace and got her start helping to save Clayoquot Sound.… (meer)