Zed Books Celebrity and the Environment: Fame, Wealth and Power in Conservation

Product Description The battle to save the world is being joined by a powerful new group of warriors. Celebrities are lending their name to conservation causes, and conservation itself is growing its own stars to fight and speak for nature. In this timely and essential book, Dan Brockington argues that this alliance grows from the mutually supportive publicity celebrity and conservation causes provide for each other, and more fundamentally, that the flourishing of celebrity and charismatic conservation is part of an ever-closer intertwining of conservation and corporate capitalism. Celebrity promotions, the investments of rich executives, and the wealthy social networks of charismatic conservationists are producing more commodified and commercial conservation strategies; conservation becomes an ever more important means of generating profit. 'Celebrity and the Environment' provides vital critical analysis of this new phenomena and argues that, ironically, there may be a hidden cost to celebrity power to individual's relationships with the wild. The author argues that whilst wildlife television documentaries flourish, there is a significant decline in visits to national parks in many countries around the world and this is evidence that at a time when conservationists are calling for us to restore our relationships with the wild, many people are doing so simply by following the exploits of celebrity conservationists. Review 'I was surprised by this book. Anything containing the mere word 'celebrity' will normally see me heading for the hills at speed, let alone a whole book on the subject! Dan's book is written with wit and grace. His research was clearly meticulous and the result is a book that is informative and enjoyable.' --Robin Barker, Countrycare Children's HomeInternational development has become sexy, environmentalism convenient, and saving the world has never seemed so easy (yet so remote). This book will be invaluable for anyone who wants to understand why celebrity activism has become inextricable from global social movements.' --Lisa Ann Richey, Roskilde University and Stefano Ponte, Danish Institute for International Studies'This is a fascinating and important book, which also happens to be funny and beautifully written. Dan Brockington presents a challenge we cannot duck to everyone with an interest in conservation and the environment.' --George Monbiot About the Author Dan Brockington's work on conservation has touched the social impacts of protected areas, the politics of community conservation and the work of conservation NGOs. He has conducted long term field research for several years in Tanzania as well as shorter projects in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and India. He has worked at the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and London and is now a Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester.