Recent reading
Aug. 22nd, 2019 02:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
luzulaThe Women of the Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell (2019)
For once, I didn't save up a book I'd been looking forward to, but read it right away. And I was not disappointed! This is a very Bechdel-test-passing bit of labor history, about a strike in a copper mine in Michigan. I didn't know enough American history to know beforehand how it was going to end, although it's a novel so it doesn't follow history exactly. There are women of all ages: women mentoring each other, women working together in keeping everyone fed during the strike, women keeping secrets for each other and taking each other in when their husbands or fathers die in mine accidents. And women swooping in to (at least temporarily) save the day with rousing speeches or unexpected solidarity funds from other unions.
I'd wondered if there was going to be a Jesuit priest in the book, because MDR always has Jesuits in her books (I don't remember the Jesuit in Dreamers of the Day, but I'm sure there was one). And yes indeed, there is one in this book too. He has a small but sympathetic role.
Slaget om framtiden - forskningens roll i konflikten mellan tillväxt och miljö by Jenny Andersson and Erik Westholm (2019)
Title means: "The battle for the future - the role of research in the conflict between [economic] growth and the environment". Contains two detailed case studies of Swedish research programs where the study of possible futures was narrowed down by strong economic or political interests. One is about the forest, and I guess I wasn't surprised there, though it was very interesting to get the details of how it went down. Ugh.
The other one is about the future of the Arctic, where I know less. Apparently it went like this: The Americans called and said they wanted Sweden to brand itself as an Arctic country so they could support American interests against the Russians. So Sweden brands itself as the voice of environmental interests in the Arctic: climate change is so sad, but it will open up the Northwest and Northeast Passages for shipping, which we are excited about not because of economic interests, oh no, but because it allows for shorter shipping routes which will be good for the environment! Also let's exploit the oil and gas in the Arctic in new and environmentally good ways! And finally, let's use indigenous people for greenwashing all this! *feels like throwing up*
For once, I didn't save up a book I'd been looking forward to, but read it right away. And I was not disappointed! This is a very Bechdel-test-passing bit of labor history, about a strike in a copper mine in Michigan. I didn't know enough American history to know beforehand how it was going to end, although it's a novel so it doesn't follow history exactly. There are women of all ages: women mentoring each other, women working together in keeping everyone fed during the strike, women keeping secrets for each other and taking each other in when their husbands or fathers die in mine accidents. And women swooping in to (at least temporarily) save the day with rousing speeches or unexpected solidarity funds from other unions.
I'd wondered if there was going to be a Jesuit priest in the book, because MDR always has Jesuits in her books (I don't remember the Jesuit in Dreamers of the Day, but I'm sure there was one). And yes indeed, there is one in this book too. He has a small but sympathetic role.
Slaget om framtiden - forskningens roll i konflikten mellan tillväxt och miljö by Jenny Andersson and Erik Westholm (2019)
Title means: "The battle for the future - the role of research in the conflict between [economic] growth and the environment". Contains two detailed case studies of Swedish research programs where the study of possible futures was narrowed down by strong economic or political interests. One is about the forest, and I guess I wasn't surprised there, though it was very interesting to get the details of how it went down. Ugh.
The other one is about the future of the Arctic, where I know less. Apparently it went like this: The Americans called and said they wanted Sweden to brand itself as an Arctic country so they could support American interests against the Russians. So Sweden brands itself as the voice of environmental interests in the Arctic: climate change is so sad, but it will open up the Northwest and Northeast Passages for shipping, which we are excited about not because of economic interests, oh no, but because it allows for shorter shipping routes which will be good for the environment! Also let's exploit the oil and gas in the Arctic in new and environmentally good ways! And finally, let's use indigenous people for greenwashing all this! *feels like throwing up*
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Date: 2019-08-22 06:22 pm (UTC)