Deeply compelling and vital.

I cannot tell you how many times I cried reading this book. How many times I had to put it down, filled with overwhelming feelings of frustration, of social, political and cultural impotence, of the not just inaction of our Governments and leaders, but the deliberate shoring up of the route to destruction, in the face of science; I can’t tell you how much it provoked strong feelings of anger and of course, love – of the world, of people, nature, friends and family. I also couldn’t put it down. I can tell you how much it means, how important it is. Among all the narratives of so much of the right-wing media, the billionaires that stand to profit and benefit, that play the algorithms of social media like puppeteers; and the narratives of Governments too swayed or afraid to face that down, or join the dots and make connections between the climate and nature crisis, global injustice, poverty, aggression and wars, are the clear voices and actions of young people doing the heavy lifting, and shouldering the burden. Young people risking it all, trying to get us all to wake up to the climate crises, understand the threats and act, or support them in whatever way we can. Young people missing family, friends, pets opportunities and rites of passage; young people getting themselves a criminal record and spending their 22nd birthday in prison.
Love, Anger & Betrayal, a book co-written between veteran environment and social justice activist Jonathon Porritt, and 26 Just Stop Oil activists turns Intergenerational Justice on its head and asks, what now? What next, as the climate, and associated crises worsen, and the repression of resistance increases? With biting humility and honesty, after such a life of dedicated campaigning, Jonathon Porritt platforms the voices we all need to hear when, even after all this time, few are paying attention to the science and rational persuasion, still. That this book won’t be read by those continuing to do the worst damage is a given: but the more of us that care, that are aware and can up our game, and have those awkward, uncomfortable conversations and challenges, this book is a lifeline. These young people are the Suffragettes whose actions everyone will have got behind, when perhaps it will then be too late.