Ecological Economics 33 (2000) 167–169 www.elsevier.com/locate/ecolecon Book reviews Red Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson, Bantam, New selection of the ‘first hundred’ colonists, their York, 1993. 572 pp. ISBN 0-553-56073-5; Green voyage to Mars, setting up the first habitats, early Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson, Bantam, New York, terraforming efforts and subsequent additional 1995. 624 pp. ISBN 0-553-57239-3; Blue Mars, colonization, ending with the first Martian revolu- Kim Stanley Robinson, Bantam, New York, 1997. tion in 2061. The whole affair has a decidedly 761 pp. ISBN 0-553-57335-7 technological optimist (Costanza, 1999) slant, with unlimited energy powering robot factories 1. Future visions of Earth from Mars that do most of the enormous chemical and phys- ical work required. The local rocks are disassem- It is rare to review works of science fiction in bled into their constituent parts and reassembled academic journals, but it is also rare for works of into all the materials needed to build and run science fiction to discuss at length ‘eco-econom- entire enclosed habitats, and at the same time to ics’, full versus empty worlds, natural capital, pump heat, water, oxygen, CO2, etc. into the hyper-Malthusian population growth, environ- atmosphere to begin the terraforming process. But mental ethics, the energy theory of value, the the frailties and complexities of human psychol- legacy of ‘Daly’, post-corporate governance, and ogy and politics prevent the technical fix from several other issues familiar to readers of Ecologi- going too far or too smoothly. In particular, splits cal Economics. This epic fictional trilogy by Kim develop between Earth-based corporate interests Stanley Robinson, centered on the colonization and the colonists, and between colonists favoring rapid terraforming to a ‘Green’ Mars and a small and terraforming of Mars, does all these things contingent of ‘Reds’ who want to see Mars pre- and more in an engaging, well-researched, and served in its original barren state. In this interest- thought-provoking narrative that stretches over ing reversal, the ‘Greens’ become the developers, three centuries into the future. while the ‘Reds’ are the preservationists, and The best science fiction is an exercise in envi- many of the familiar debates about environmental sioning. By placing the fictional narrative in the ethics take on a strange glow in this very different future, one can explore a range of core issues of light. Towards the end of the book, a ‘longevity critical concern to the present, and also paint a treatment’ is discovered that allows extension of rich, multicolored picture of a world to which we the human lifespan to an indeterminate length. can aspire (or one we wish to avoid). Robinson’s This further complicates population growth and trilogy is an insightful addition to the growing wealth distribution problems (since the treatments legacy of ‘envisioning’ novels and studies which are expensive and only available to the relatively have been recently experiencing a rebirth (Callen- rich at first). There are also issues of corporate bach, 1975; Wagar, 1989; LeGuin, 1991; control versus democracy (Korten, 1999), which Robinson, 1994; Williamson, 1997). eventually lead to a failed revolution in an at- The first book in the trilogy (Red Mars — tempt by the Martians to gain independence from winner of the 1993 Nebula Award) covers the Earth and its transnationals. 0921-8009/00/$ - see front matter © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII: S0921-8009(00)00125-7 168 Book re6iews The second book in the trilogy (Green Mars — work to change people’s minds, but another possi- winner of the 1994 Hugo Award) deals with the bility is to start over on a new planet, and that is post-revolution restructuring of Mars and contin- what the post-revolution Martian underground uing terraforming efforts that eventually lead to a does. The novel includes a fairly elaborate discus- breathable atmosphere and average temperatures sion of how this new paradigm might work, in- above freezing. This volume contains discussions cluding an energy-based theory of value and a of the issues of most interest to readers of Ecolog- parallel gift-based exchange system. ical Economics. Consider, for example, this pas- The Martian underground (perhaps like the sage from a lecture given by the CEO of one of Ecological Economics community) is a diverse and the major transnational corporations discussing contentious group, and a fair bit of space in the conditions on Earth in the late 21st century:‘ novel is devoted to exploring their various posi- tions, many of which will be familiar to readers of Ecological Economics. Nevertheless, they manage We now use about eighty percent of the net to hold a global conference and agree on some primary product of land-based photosynthesis’, basic principles. Their chance comes when Earth he said. ‘One hundred percent is probably im- experiences a huge global flooding event caused possible to reach, and our long range carrying by the global warming induced melting and capacity has been estimated to be thirty per- catastrophic slide into the ocean of the Antarctic cent, so we are massively overshot, as they say. ice sheet. This causes sea levels to rise by 60 m We have been liquidating our natural capital as almost overnight and throws the Earth into total chaos. The Martian underground seizes the mo- if it were disposable income, and are nearing ment and successfully declares independence. depletion of certain capital stocks, like oil, Then the hard part comes when they have to wood, soil, metals, fresh water, fish, and ani- design a new governance system to replace the old mals. This makes continued economic expan- corporate-dominated Terran one, using their pre- sion difficult.’ (p. 76) viously agreed upon principles. The way this plays out and the conclusions they arrive at make for And a couple of pages later: fascinating reading. The third book in the trilogy (Blue Mars)isa final, peaceful reconciliation of the opposing Red Fort said, ‘Unfortunately, most economists (read environmental preservationist) and Green are still working within the empty-world model (read economic development) forces in both Mar- of economics’. tian and Terran society. Population growth on ‘The full-world model seems obvious’, Sally Earth had become ‘hyper-Malthusian’ (since said. ‘Its just common sense. Why would any many were living indefinite lifespans due to the economist ignore it?’ treatments), but this problem eventually becomes ‘We understand the world through paradigms. manageable through birth control, combined with The change from empty-world economics to limited migration to Mars, and now other planets full-world economics is a major paradigm shift. in the solar system and beyond. The bulk of this Max Planck once said that a new paradigm third book is devoted to describing the way the takes over not when it convinces its opponents, many remaining conflicts are resolved, in the con- but when its opponents eventually die.’ text of a Mars that now has a large liquid water And now they aren’t dying’, Art said. ocean, a breathable atmosphere, rain, rivers, Fort nodded. ‘The treatments are keeping peo- forests, wild animals and all the other accoutre- ple around. And a lot of them have tenure.’ (p. ments of a living planet. The home world, in the 78). meantime, has moved beyond the corporate-dom- inated governance model to a stage of ‘true How does one effect a paradigm shift if every- democracy’, or at least a closer approximation to one lives forever and has tenure to boot? One can it. Book re6iews 169 All in all, Robinson’s Mars trilogy represents a Costanza, R., 1999. Four visions of the century ahead: will it landmark in the genera. While it is ultimately be Star Trek, Ecotopia, Big Government, or Mad Max? The Futurist 33, 23–28. based on an underlying ‘technological optimist’ Korten, D.C., 1999. The Post-Corporate World: Life After worldview, it is sensitive to the many issues with Capitalism. Berrett-Koehler, San Francisco, CA 304 pp. which ecological economists struggle. It represents LeGuin, U.K., 1991. The Dispossessed. Harper Prism, New a plausible vision of a future that might occur if York. the assumptions underlying the technological op- Robinson, K.S., 1994. Future Primitive: The New Ecotopias. Tor Press, New York. timist view (primarily unlimited cheap energy) Wagar, W.W., 1989. A Short History of the Future. University turn out to be correct. In Robinson’s vision, even of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL. these assumptions are not enough to solve Earth’s Williamson, T., 1997. What Comes Next? Proposals for a problems. Their solution ultimately requires a Different Society. National Center for Economic and Secu- new model of governance and a new ‘full-world’ rity Alternatives, Washington, DC. economics. Robert Costanza References Uni6ersity of Maryland, Box 38, Solomons, MD 20688-0038, Callenbach, E., 1975. Ecotopia. Bantam, New York. USA ..