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 Our lovely mother Earth Aug 20, 2007
This work of ecofiction has very engaging characters and an interesting story. It is a quick and enjoyable read. At the same time it conveys an important message -- we are responsible for protecting our mother the Earth. Looks like lots of research went into this book as it is grounded in lots of facts and scientific information. However, it is not stuffy, dry, or preachy!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 From the author: What is ecofiction? Aug 10, 2007
For some of us, the scientific evidence supporting a pending global climate catastrophe is overwhelmingly convincing. For many others, this tsunami of alarming facts and figures, and a grim portent of grave dangers to come, is simply overwhelming. This same evidence leads some of us to make environmentally sound lifestyle choices and others to worry themselves sick over the surfeit of doomsday scenarios being offered to them by the media--global warming, toxic waste, polluted drinking water, deforestation, invasive species, desertification, biodiversity loss, acid rain... "Is the end really near?" they are wondering. It's a question that scientists can best answer, but scientists generally are not the best communicators.
As a result, a naïve public that does not understand how scientific thinking works is ill-prepared to sort out fact from hyperbole and is prone to suffer from despair. This kind of worry has become common enough to have been given a name by mental health therapists--eco-anxiety. As reported by Justin Nobel in the April 9, 2007 issue of the Philadelphia Enquirer, "Melissa Pickett, an eco-therapist with a practice in Santa Fe, says she sees between 40 to 80 eco-anxious patients a month. `They complain of panic attacks, loss of appetite, irritability and unexplained bouts of weakness, sleeplessness and "buzzing," described as an eerie feeling that their cells are twitching.'"
Eco-educators are reporting that they are seeing what they describe as "eco-fatigue" in their audiences and are seeking new ways to refresh, motivate, and stimulate creative thinking. Dragnet-type eco-education--"Just the facts, ma'am"--seems to be have a numbing effect on students. The problem is that facts are mute. In and of themselves they neither generate the desire to understand nor the judgment to do A instead of B. Actions, whether they are large or small, are taken by human beings--individuals who are living out their own personal stories. Wisely, education experts are recommending that scientific theory and data be embedded in creative stories with explicit values--fiction.
Works of fiction are imaginative stories that often draw on actual events and real people. And, fiction is appealing because of its ability to entertain as well as enlighten the reader by providing a deeper understanding of the human condition. During times of large-scale social, political, and economic upheaval, fiction writers have played an important role in defining and dramatizing modern cultural issues.
That fiction can be a powerful educational and motivational tool has been recognized by numerous advocates for social change. Tony Christini writes that,
"Imaginative writing can be both literary and political simultaneously, and inevitably is, to varying degrees. In its own way, fiction can accomplish something similar to what Noam Chomsky and many other progressive workers try to accomplish through nonfiction: the creation of works that clarify and better the world socially, politically, culturally....
"Fiction can be used to address what Chomsky calls "Orwell's Problem": How is it that oppressive ideological systems are able to "instill beliefs that are firmly held and widely accepted although they are completely without foundation and often plainly at variance with the obvious facts about the world around us?" In other words, how is it that people are persuaded to act willingly and willfully against their own best interests and against values regarding themselves and others they otherwise hold dear? Fiction can debunk harmful propaganda and taboos; it can help energize, motivate, inspire and all the while maintain a vital literary quality by staying focused in part on fiction's core strengths, the plumbing of the depths of the human condition through character--psychology, personality, motivation, mindset...."Such fiction is both intensely personal and social in its exploration of the nature of relations between the private and the public in ways that can enrich and enable our individual lives and society."
Donna Seaman states that,
"Fiction, a far more popular form [of writing] than nature writing, may be the ideal conduit for introducing ecological thinking to the common reader. In my own reading, I've noticed intriguing correlations between what nonfiction writers report from the field and how nature is depicted in contemporary novels and short stories. Many works of fiction either deliberately or intuitively explore our conflicted feelings about the wild in an age in which the profound consequences of our burgeoning population and insatiable appetites are becoming visible to even the most reluctant eyes."
More and more often, these fictional works, whose themes of interconnectedness between humans and the natural world and the dangers brought upon the world by the continued degradation or destruction of the environment, are referred to as "environmental fiction" or "ecofiction."
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
RATED 'E' - FOR EVERYONE ON EARTH Jul 23, 2007
So, I'm going to begin this review with a confession of sorts. When I was first asked to have a look at "Meanwhile, Back On Planet Earth" by Earl Morrogh, I was a little hesitant. Although I am concerned and do what I think I can as far as the environment, the main subject matter of the story, I thought the book would be very technical, scientific and perhaps even a bit political and did not feel qualified to review such a book. But because it was in the form of a novel, and was assured it would have characters of interest to me, I decided to give it a go. May I just say now, "Thank you Mr. Morrogh for that little extra incentive and for sending this book to me." The book has had a profound effect on me in more ways then one.
"Meanwhile..." with it's dire message that humanity with all it's wonderful advances is progressively destroying our home-the Earth-is NOT some preachy, doom-and-gloom look at the circumstances but rather a positive and inspiring read that will at the very least have you thinking about what more you can do, and more probably finding a way to get involved in a bigger way, and after closing the book, you will want to do it today, not tomorrow.
Three strangers' lives are about to intersect in a way that seems like fate had meant. An aging astronaut, Rodney Thibodeaux has an epiphany on his last shuttle flight. Looking at the Earth from far above(and having a dose of an enhancement drug in him), he sees it in a new light-a powerful light that speaks to him, one that he wants to share with the rest of the world. The Earth is ours, it lives, it is our home and we must do everything in our power to protect it, as we would anyone we loved dearly. Krista Mosley,the daughter of "hippies", grew up on a commune, with values that were "counter-cultural" instilled, and later in life turned against those beliefs and to God. Now 50, Krista struggles internally and is trying to find some balance in her life, looking for forgiveness for turning her back on her parents. Will Brighton(I love this name; I knew he would be a "bright spot" in the story), although a billionaire is also looking for something. With all his money, he needed soemthing more to give his life meaning.
These three characters are strong,real, and easy to relate to. Their backgrounds, which we get a really good look at, have shaped their lives, and when the three come together by some wonderful happenstance, you can only be inspired by their quest to get the word out to humanity(having a billionaire on your side is very helpful, of course)that we are losing our Earth. Along the way they gain a great following, but they and their followers are also in danger from a fanatical group, one in particular, who is convinced that "EarthLive," the base of operations, and Rodney are evil-doers and must be destroyed at all costs.
I found myself deeply involved with not only the ecological message but the stories of the characters themselves, their relationships with each other and powerful supporting characters as well. My emotions ran high through the read. At times I found myself with a lump in my throat or smiling,at times nostalgic for the 60's and sometimes angry. Mr. Morrogh seems to have done some excellent research, making this eco-fiction very real, and also interweaves, some wonderful poetry, essays and quotes throughout the book-all adding to the emotions of the moment. The writing flowed so beautifully I could not put it down. I even found myself interested in, yes, - the scientific and technology aspects of the read. But most of all-and to my own surprise-I felt empowered,inspired and motived with a passion I have not felt since my college days to stand up and make a difference.
I am rating "Meanwhile, Back On Planet Earth" with a big E-Ecofiction that is Enlightening,Emotional, Entertaining, Enthralling and Earth-Friendly. I recommend it to everyone on the planet,no matter your politics, religion(or as Van Morrison says even if you have "no religion"), race, nationality,or generation.
An important yet enjoyable read... Think Green!.....Laurie
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