Description
Book SynopsisEnvironmental activism in contemporary Russia exemplifies both the promise and the challenge facing grassroots politics in the post-Soviet period. In the late Soviet period, Russia''s environmental movement was one of the country''s most dynamic and effective forms of social activism, and it appeared well positioned to influence the direction and practice of post-Soviet politics. At present, however, activists scattered across Russia face severe obstacles to promoting green issues that range from wildlife protection and nuclear safety to environmental education.
Based on fifteen months of fieldwork in five regions of Russia, from the European west to Siberia and the Far East, Red to Green goes beyond familiar debates about the strength and weakness of civil society in Russia to identify the contradictory trends that determine the political influence of grassroots movements. In an organizational analysis of popular mobilization that addresses the continuing role of the Soviet l
Trade Review
"Laura A. Henry has produced a richly detailed book that introduces readers to the history and contemporary evolution of the Russian environmental movement. Through her analysis we learn how environmental organizations navigate Soviet legacies and post-Soviet opportunities as they seek to secure financial resources, engage the public and the state, and achieve their goals. Red to Green is an important book for scholars of Russian environmentalism as well as those interested in environmental activism, transnationalism, and civil society development."—JoAnn Carmin, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"Red to Green is a very carefully researched and meticulous study of environmental movements in post-Soviet Russia. It is well written and theoretically sophisticated. It fills an important gap in the existing literature on comparative environmental activism."—Jane I. Dawson, Virginia Eason Weinmann '51 Professor of Government, Connecticut College
