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Naomi Klein’s ‘On Fire’ is a powerful manifesto which stimulates all corners of the climate movement, and stresses the urgency of positive change. Throughout the book, Klein succeeds in both educating and inspiring her young audience, and centres her work within a broader sphere of environmental literature. As a result, ‘On Fire’ provides a unique outlook on the climate crisis, and reflects the same ideological changes which have critiqued the development sphere.
Klein overarchingly argues that we will not be able to create any significant change towards environmental preservation until we have recognised and addressed the structural issues within our existing institutions and systems. ‘On Fire’ thus outlines the ideological framework behind the ‘green new deal’ – a grassroots ‘climate justice’ framework which takes a holistic approach to the scope of these social, political, economic, and environmental issues. Klein uses her experiences to unveil the multifaceted nature of such issues, and concludes that the ‘green new deal’ is an opportunity to solve several interlocking crises by addressing their structural faults. This includes a political atmosphere which avoids accountability, a society that thrives off inequality, and a cultural obsession with consumerism:
We are stuck because the actions that would give us the best chance of averting catastrophe, and that would benefit the vast majority, are extremely threatening to an elite minority that has a stranglehold over our economy, our political process, and most of our major media outlets.
Klein 2019, p.249
In order to dissect these structural issues, Klein uses two key themes including (1) the argument that capitalist systems are incompatible with ecological sustainability, and (2) how this capitalist development has damaged our relationship with nature.
Firstly, ‘On Fire’ critiques the way in which the development of capitalism has contributed to adverse effects on the environment. Klein (2019) pinpoints neoliberalism (rising since the 1970’s) as a damaging influence on broader social and political atmospheres, concluding that it remains:
‘[the] single greatest contributor to a disastrous global emission spike in recent decades, and the single greatest obstacle to science-based climate action since governments began meeting to take about lowering emissions’
Klein 2019, p.251
Crucially, she examines the influence of capitalism not just in terms of its ideological dominance, but also as a core contributor to the politicised tension surrounding the ecological movement. This is because many sustainable development alternatives are at odds with the foundations of capitalist ideology, as ‘climate change detonates the ideological scaffolding on which contemporary capitalism rests’ (Klein 2019, p.91). For instance, Klein explains how many climate denialists see environmentalism as an attack against the consumerist foundations of ‘the American dream’, and are hence opposed to climate change not out of denial, but from an unwillingness to entertain the practical changes it would require.
Secondly, Klein alludes to the work of others in order to discuss how the capitalist development of our societies has caused a fundamental disjoint in our relationship with nature. For instance, Carolyn Merchant’s ‘The Death of Nature’ (cited in Klein 2019) applies an ecofeminist perspective to reveal how nature used to be seen as alive, often taking the form of a mother. However, following the Scientific Revolution of the 1600s, there was an increasing belief that humans had the ability to ‘dominate or subdue’ nature which resembled more of a machine than a mother (Klein 2019, p.59). Klein (2019) further concurs that the rise of technology during the Industrial Revolution has led to the idea that nature’s resources are limitless, and development processes can ‘forget ecological boundaries (p.185). ‘On Fire’ explores how this changed relationship has fuelled economically-motivated development approaches which ignore their harmful social and cultural effects. For example, Greg Gandin’s ‘The end of the myth: from the frontier to the border wall in the mind of America’ (cited in Klein 2019)explores how the promise of a new source of wealth has been used by political rhetoric to historically resolve social and ecological pressures in the USA. Klein’s (2019) work builds upon these ideas, as her ‘shock doctrine’ phenomena suggests that this type of political manipulation is essentially ‘the exploitation of wrenching crises to smuggle through policies that devour the public sphere and further enrich a small elite’ (p.235). Hence, while much discourse exists within a similar scope to Klein’s work, she consistently pulls from the ideas of others in order to build a fuller narrative, while adding her own signature flair.
Style, Structure, and Story-telling
Klein’s determined optimism is a crucial undertone which helps to both inspire and educate her audience on the complex problems discussed in ‘On Fire’. For example, Klein (2019) emphasises how fear should be a motivation rather than a deterrent, as ‘our current movement is markedly different, and the reason for that is twofold: one part having to do with a mounting sense of peril, the other with a new and unfamiliar sense of promise’ (p.23). Klein further calls her audience to action, stressing the vital role of young people who are ‘ready for change’ as agents of resistance and progress. She caters to this younger audience by using the first person to build rapport, and speaks to popular icons such as Greta Thurnburg. Significantly, a key strength of ‘On Fire’ is how Klein’s empowering language enriches a desire to learn and act, rather than resemble a condescending lecture on environmental disaster.
Nevertheless, there are some weaknesses of ‘On Fire’ which must be addressed, and understood in relation to the opposing strengths. Primarily, Klein discusses highly complex issues which require background knowledge that many of her young readers may not possess – such as her critiques of capitalist structures. However, as mentioned, Klein’s approachable style encourages readers to explore the work of other environmental authors and activists to whom she alludes. Secondly, as a world-renowned journalist, author and activist, Klein encompasses a wealth of global knowledge, yet ‘On Fire’ focuses largely on her time in the USA and Canada – casting a Eurocentric perspective over these issues. However, because Klein builds upon her own personal experience in order to inform her arguments, she overall provides a more in-depth and rigorous analyses of such ideas.
Certainly, ‘On Fire’ provokes the sociological imagination of its readers by sparking an intense urge to discuss, reflect, and act upon the current issues we face. One of the main debates which ‘On Fire’ reflects is the extent to which individual actions can be held accountable for environmental preservation. The conversation about how to live ‘ethically’ often dominates environmental discourse, however ‘On Fire’ instead points the finger at structural offenders, and questions where the onus of environmental responsibility should rest. For instance, Klein’s ‘No Logo’ is an investigative piece which reveals the abusive conditions of workers in manufacturing factories of major companies. In one segment, Klein questions why some of the workers wear clothing from the same brands which exploit them, believing this to be counter-productive to their resistance. However, Klein learns that the workers recognise that their individual acts of consumption (such as buying a particular brand) do not matter on a larger scale, and instead work towards organising themselves in strikes or unions as pathways for resistance.
This debate further resonates with the critiques of current development approaches. For example, carbon offsetting is a process wherein companies offer consumers the option to ‘tick a box’ to plant trees as a remedy for buying flights. However, not only do these companies often partake in ‘green colonialism’ – continuing to take land and resources from local groups – but they also help to legitimise the consumption habits of the West. This also examples the ‘top-down’ approach which Klein critiques as one of the major institutional barriers to ecological progress.
Building upon the work of others, Klein provides a unique outlook on this ‘wicked problem’, its development approaches, and its adverse impacts. Overarchingly, Klein’s ‘On Fire’ succeeds in tracing structural faults to reveal the true direction of blame for environmental issues, and proposes the holistic solution of a ‘green new deal’.
Klein, Naomi (2019) ‘On Fire. The Burning Case for a Green New Deal’, Penguin Books, London.
