The Earth Belongs to the People - Ecology and Power
by R. Giuseppi Slater, Doug Kitt, Dave Widelock, and Paul Kangas
illustrated by Nick Thorkelson
Published by Peoples Press, San Francisco, Spring 1973. Very good staple bound paperback. Illustrated cover, good binding, clean unmarked text, slight toning to pages, illustrated, 47 pages.
The Earth Belongs to the People - Ecology and Power is a striking artifact of the New Left, authored by R. Giuseppi Slater, Doug Kitt, Dave Widelock, and Paul Kangas, and released by Peoples Press in San Francisco in Spring 1973 as its fourth edition. Emerging from the radical environmental and anti-war movements of the early 1970s, this 45-page pamphlet reflects the era’s urgency, blaming imperialist capitalism for ecological devastation and global hunger. First published in 1970, this edition—illustrated by Nick Thorkelson—builds on its critique of the Vietnam War as a resource grab, not an anti-communist crusade, offering a grassroots challenge to establishment narratives of progress.
The physical form is a quintessential counterculture piece: a stapled pamphlet, 8.5 x 11 inches, with bold wrappers featuring Thorkelson’s black-and-white illustrations throughout. Its 47 pages, printed on newsprint-like paper, show the light toning yet retain clarity, embodying the DIY ethos of Peoples Press, a collective tied to San Francisco’s radical publishing scene. The fourth edition likely refined earlier arguments, aligning with the growing environmental consciousness post-Earth Day 1970, though exact revisions remain unrecorded, reflecting its ephemeral intent over archival permanence.
Thematically, it dives into a scathing analysis of corporate greed, linking pollution to capitalist expansion into markets like Southeast Asia. The text calls for ecological justice and power to the people, resonating with the era’s anti-imperialist fervor. Thorkelson’s art amplifies this, turning data into agitprop, a style that drew fans like one reviewer who discovered it in 1971. The work’s roots in collective authorship—Slater and others blending research—mirror the movement’s collaborative spirit, distinct from individualist academic tracts.
Its rarity enhances its collectibility. With print runs likely small, this 1973 fourth edition is prized by scholars of environmental history, New Left activism, or 1970s counterculture. The Peoples Press’s obscurity—focused on radical pamphlets—adds to its allure, making it a sought-after item for those exploring ecological socialism or Vietnam War dissent, despite its modest production and the establishment’s tendency to downplay such voices as fringe.
Loc: EPH3-30
The Earth Belongs to the People - Ecology and Power
by R. Giuseppi Slater, Doug Kitt, Dave Widelock, and Paul Kangas
illustrated by Nick Thorkelson
Published by Peoples Press, San Francisco, Spring 1973. Very good staple bound paperback. Illustrated cover, good binding, clean unmarked text, slight toning to pages, illustrated, 47 pages.
The Earth Belongs to the People - Ecology and Power is a striking artifact of the New Left, authored by R. Giuseppi Slater, Doug Kitt, Dave Widelock, and Paul Kangas, and released by Peoples Press in San Francisco in Spring 1973 as its fourth edition. Emerging from the radical environmental and anti-war movements of the early 1970s, this 45-page pamphlet reflects the era’s urgency, blaming imperialist capitalism for ecological devastation and global hunger. First published in 1970, this edition—illustrated by Nick Thorkelson—builds on its critique of the Vietnam War as a resource grab, not an anti-communist crusade, offering a grassroots challenge to establishment narratives of progress.
The physical form is a quintessential counterculture piece: a stapled pamphlet, 8.5 x 11 inches, with bold wrappers featuring Thorkelson’s black-and-white illustrations throughout. Its 47 pages, printed on newsprint-like paper, show the light toning yet retain clarity, embodying the DIY ethos of Peoples Press, a collective tied to San Francisco’s radical publishing scene. The fourth edition likely refined earlier arguments, aligning with the growing environmental consciousness post-Earth Day 1970, though exact revisions remain unrecorded, reflecting its ephemeral intent over archival permanence.
Thematically, it dives into a scathing analysis of corporate greed, linking pollution to capitalist expansion into markets like Southeast Asia. The text calls for ecological justice and power to the people, resonating with the era’s anti-imperialist fervor. Thorkelson’s art amplifies this, turning data into agitprop, a style that drew fans like one reviewer who discovered it in 1971. The work’s roots in collective authorship—Slater and others blending research—mirror the movement’s collaborative spirit, distinct from individualist academic tracts.
Its rarity enhances its collectibility. With print runs likely small, this 1973 fourth edition is prized by scholars of environmental history, New Left activism, or 1970s counterculture. The Peoples Press’s obscurity—focused on radical pamphlets—adds to its allure, making it a sought-after item for those exploring ecological socialism or Vietnam War dissent, despite its modest production and the establishment’s tendency to downplay such voices as fringe.
Loc: EPH3-30
