Book Review:- “Intertidal” by Yuval Aves, published by ITHAKA (Allen and Unwin), price $39.99. Reviewed by Tony Orman
It may be India in the case of this book, but undeniably an environments is the same the world over in basic functioning and in being at the mercy of Man’s impacts. Respect and nurture or destroy for material greed ?- That is the question that backgrounds this fine book.
Yuvan Aves is a writer, naturalist and self-confessed environmental activist based in Chennai – formerly Madras – on the South Indian coast. He is seen by many as “the voice of a new generation of Indian naturalists – ardent, informed, unafraid to confront the mess we’ve made – and are still making – of our landscapes.”
That in a nutshell describes both the author and his clear intention, to expose the ecological mess that can be made of the intertidal zone. What emerges is that anywhere and everywhere is an amazing ecosystem – and in New Zealand also.
The text is in six sections of “meditation” and that’s apt because it is a book that stimulates thought – indeed meditation – about the ecological sensitivity of intertidal zones.
There’s an emphasis on instilling good values into youngsters. “Children learn implicitly that there’s never just one voice, one narrative, one story in a profoundly non-binary multi species world—observing biodiversity can shift us from the consumer-recipient location that most human beings have been cornered into by capitalist culture.”
He advocates wondering.
“To wonder, to question as a daily practice of living is a radical political act. They help change age-old, often obsolete, social constructs and myths holding in place structural inequalities and patterns of capitalist existence on the earth. Wonder will keep alive constant reimagination – political, cultural, spiritual.”
He paints delightful pictures of individual creatures. Take for example his prose on bees. “Some solitary bees sleep by biting a stick, vine or blade of grass and hanging on it all night like clips on a clothesline. Among them are the green-eyed, fuzzy bodied blue-banded bees—their backs and legs are furry like Labrador’s.”
Amazing facts are revealed like dragonflies called “globe skimmers” make a multigenerational migration of 18,000 kilometres in a year with a single individual flying over 6,000 kilometres.” “Each oyster filters about 200 litres of water a day, removing algae, phytoplankton and other suspended particles and nutrients from it – making estuarine environments healthier and liveable for other creatures.”
The advice is to read the book slowly and indulge in closely thinking about the message that the author’s descriptive style of writing conveys. The book sends a strong ardent message about the environment – and Man’s threats – while giving absorbing insights into all manner of creatures from crabs to dragonflies, shellfish, swallows, worms, butterflies and others. “Intertidal” is an endearing thoughtful book.
Yes I’m reminded of past political threats and vandalism with sole focus on short term monetary gains and a blind eye to long term necessities and the environment. Sounds great book. Thank you CORANZ
It seems that Shane Jones and Chris Bishop should read it because of their fast track exploitation policies and legislation. Freddy the Frog is important Shane in reply to your blustering rhetoric in Parliament.
Capitalism via neo-liberalism and its exploitive credo has no regard for well being and the environment. It is rampant in New Zealand now.
If a governing government could be convicted and jailed for environmental negligence, then we would be looking again at the once pristine New Zealand,
Indeed the estuary and inter-tidal zone is more complex than 99% of people realise with little food webs interwoven. This sounds a most interesting book.
It is such a shame that 50 years after Attenborough’s classic book on the topic we still need to point out such blatant human folly.
This book sounds like a great read. Books on Environmental Vandalism have come a long way since “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson published in 1962. Per head of population New Zealand probably leads the world in damage inflicted on the environment. The ability of Government Departments who are charged with protecting our environment to completely ignore the conclusions reached in some of these books is nothing short of Criminal. Corruption is rife. Yes right here in NZ.
Bribery, Fraud and Corruption in New Zealand: an illusive concept?