Frontlines
by Nick Meynen

Take a journey to the shadowy frontlines of the world's global economy. Nick Meynen reveals powerful stories of the fight for justice and proposes ways out of this mess.

Every unpacked frontline is one cutting edge of an economic system and political ideology that is destroying life on earth. Revealing our ecosystems to be under a sustained attack, Nick Meynen finds causes for hope in unconventional places.

'In his wide-ranging journalism and writing, Nick Meynen has been vividly mapping struggles for justice around the world. His new book is a rich collection of the human stories of those struggles, from resistance to mining in India and Greece, to land grabbing in Uganda, to a landmark climate lawsuit in the Netherlands. The book harnesses the power of lived experience to bring our most urgent, high-stakes policy debates to life, and it deserves a wide international audience.'

Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine and This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate

Reviews:
5 out of 5 stars. I very much enjoyed reading this book, which is easy to read, yet witted and very informative. Nick takes the reader on a journey to talk about human struggles in an economic system and mindset which has failed to respect planetary and social boundaries. In his book, he draws the contours of the frontlines between those who want to continue on a “business as usual” pathway and the people who dare to stand up to power and demand their rights to be respected. Telling truly personal stories as well as navigating many possible solutions to reforming our economic system, Nick reminds us that it is up to each and every one of us to play our role in the fight to achieve the radical changes necessary to save the planet. I highly recommend this book! ~ Valentina Weiskopf, Amazon

Nick unpacks the grand battle between the predatory business and power-laden politics of our Age, and strorifies ordinary person’s pursuit of justice. This is a full-fledged battle between individuals and industry, between communities and lobbyist companies. Nick uses a strong narrative and rhetoric in telling the real-life experience of peasants, farmers, activists, factivists, urban-dwellers, citizen-scientists, certified-scientists, women, men and children that goes under one’s skin. His storytelling brings the burning issue of ecological breakdown and environmental justice to the heart of 21st-century crises. Finding strength in local and regional environmental struggles, Nick finds the resolution in people’s collective choice of a future that is not shaped by economics but socially- and environmentally-sound value systems. The “Frontlines” are not gruesome after all. Nick convinces the reader of the power of multiform unity and solidarity between people around the globe. There is no talk of victims here, but actors, who take initiatives and action against the systems of injustice and predatory capitalism.

Nick shares a learned lesson: prosperity is about ecological harmony, democracy and commitment into our relationship with nature – caring for ecological intactness, biodiversity, social cohesion and environmental justice. This, he finds, in the effort of adaptation to the nature. The difference between an adaptation as such and a modern understanding of adaptation to changes is that the holistic, deeper understanding of ecology, where ecological boundaries (supply-side limits) are recognized. With the same logic, Nick problematizes the economic models which exploit the environment based on an unrealistic world-order that is free from power and poor in ecological knowledge and respect/reciprocity. He reminds us of the fact that the global unequal exchange and exploitation is generating material prosperity at one place in exchange for poverty and hunger at another. Good news is that organized citizens and globally-cooperating small groups of earth-defenders are winning more and more cases against the predatory business and environment-damagers. This gives strength to Nick and to many others alike. ~ Burg Gurden, Goodreads

Did you ever want to read a book that digs deeper into the dark areas of our global economy? Than you should definitely read “Frontlines” from Nick Meynen. If you still believe that neoliberalism, free trade and economic growth are the best things of our society, I think you will acknowledge that they go hand in hand with disastrous side effects. The strength of this book, is that Meynen himself went to all places on our planet to see the troubles himself. He tells us in an anecdotal way about the pressure on our ecosystem. Think of pollution of our natural capital (palm oil in the Amazon forest, gold digging in Greece or tar sands and fracking). Why do we send our old ships to Bangladesh, where they dismantle those in bad circumstances? Neoliberalism, capitalism and growth are myths. They aren’t needed, even more, they are undesirable. There are alternatives: a strong state, commons and more sustainable business. If you want to learn more about the back gates of globalism, read this and suggest this book to every (neo)liberal you know, I do it too! Have a lot of fun (not the exact emotion you will get) while reading! Naomi Klein approved! ~ Tycho Van Hauwaert , Goodreads

Everyone concerned with the future of humanity should read this book. This is a true eye-opener full of AHA moments.

Nick convinced me to take action right away. After hearing him talk, I started the small local movement "More trees in Roeselare". ~ David Demets, Goodreads

a book everyone should read

eyeopener

shows what one CAN do in times of mass economical misconduct ~ Mercedes, Goodreads

Very well written book about a difficult subject. It gives the reader a full spectrum of emotions - from discovering, joy, opening mind, listening to the story, curiosity, through anger, sadness, despair, to motivation, hope and willingness to act.

I totally recommend it. reads well and smooth. ~ Piotr Barczak, Goodreads

Prosperity is about our ability to live well on a finite planet. It’s a task that has as much to do with story and narrative as it does with numbers and policies. Nick Meynen recognizes this essential truth. With the colorful insight of the poet and the dogged persistence of the investigative journalist, he recounts the day-to-day struggles and the extraordinary courage of ordinary people around the world as they engage in the fight for social and environmental justice. ~ Tim Jackson, author of Prosperity without Growth

In his wide-ranging journalism and writing, Nick Meynen has been vividly mapping struggles for justice around the world. His new book is a rich collection of the human stories of those struggles - from resistance to mining in India and Greece, to land grabbing in Uganda, to a landmark climate lawsuit in the Netherlands. The book harnesses the power of lived experience to bring our most urgent, high-stakes policy debates to life, and it deserves a wide international audience. ~ Naomi Klein

Nick Meynen shares the extraordinary knowledge he has acquired in the last ten years on environmental conflicts around the globe, from the commodity extraction to waste disposal frontiers. In a lively style he narrates episodes such as the unpaid environmental liabilities of oil companies in the Amazon and the heroic defense of nature and human livelihoods against the sand mafia in India. ~ Joan Martinez Alier

In Frontlines, Nick Meynen does what we ecological economists and political ecologists often fail to do: communicate our findings in a rigorous but simple language. By reading this book you will learn the same as when reading our academic articles, but instead of falling asleep, you will have fun! - Federico Demaria, environmental scientist, co-editor of Degrowth: A Vocabulary for a New Era ~ Federico Demaria

Nick Meynen's eye-opening journey through some of the worst ecological and social disasters of the world is complemented with something even more urgent today, a chronicle of the inspiring struggles for justice and sustainability that 'ordinary' people are engaging in. This combination of shock and hope is just what is needed to wake up those who are still sleeping through the crises, and inform and inspire those who are awake and responding but may not have the width of vision that such a global tour can provide. ~ Ashish Kothari

One often read in media how we're greening our economy pretty well. But who joins Nick in looking beyond consumerism knows better. He shows systematically how we're plundering the earth's resources, including the livelihoods of communities. If you're still not convinced of the urgent need for system change you need to read this book. (Review translated from Dutch). ~ Dirk Holemans