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Today’s environmental crisis is not simply about nature. It is also about people and their actions, about how much the rich consume, how poverty is linked to environmental degradation, or how big business and trade affect the world in which we live. Governments cannot tackle all of these problems on their own. But they can work hand in hand with civil society.

A major feature of Agenda 21, the blueprint for action adopted at the Earth Summit in 1992, was the concept of the nine Major Groups - women, youth and children, indigenous people, non-governmental organizations, local authorities, workers and trade unions, business and industry, the scientific and technological community, and farmers. These are the various partners without whom governments cannot hope to achieve their national goals of sustainable development. Taking Action: An Environmental Guide to You and Your Community looks at how these groups and the individuals who make up civil society can take practical action at the community level to address environmental problems and establish sustainable relationships with the natural world around them.

But where do you start? Taking Action unravels some of the complex terminology and methodology which can stand in the way of concrete action. It tries to get to the root of problems and proposes adequate and long-lasting solutions. It outlines the various environmental dangers facing us today, and explains how to do something about them. From lobbying governments for legislation and enforcement to using the media effectively, Taking Action is a guide for those concerned with the survival of the planet. If you feel you have a stake and are willing to do something about it, Taking Action opens the door. The rest is up to you.

United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS).

This book is a valuable contribution to the process of sustainable human development and the goals envisioned in Agenda 21. I found it to be substantive in content, interesting to read and presented in a well-structured manner. Taking Action offers clear explanations encompassed with straight-forward advice on how to address many of the environmental problems plaguing our planet today. It reaches beyond the international agreements and protocols to the community, where real action must take place if the planet is to avoid large-scale environmental deterioration.

Development professionals like those at UNDP know that community action is the key to environmental sustainability. Taking Action addresses this approach. Although it is intended for individuals and community-level service organizations, it will be of interest to any institution or individual concerned with the well-being of Earth and its inhabitants.

James Gustave Speth, Administrator United Nations Development Programme