Green New Deal · Environmental justice · Environmental policy
On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal by Naomi Klein — Summary, Key Ideas & Quotes
2019256 pages✦ 3-min Big ideas★ 4.7 (3)
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What is On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal about?
For more than twenty years, Naomi Klein has been the foremost chronicler of the economic war waged on both people and planet - and the champion of a sweeping environmental agenda with justice at its centre. Her books have defined our era. On Fire gathers for the first time more than a decade of her impassioned writing from the frontline of climate change, and pairs it with new material on the staggeringly high stakes of what we choose to do next. These essays, reports and lectures show Klein at her most prophetic and philosophical, investigating the climate crisis not only as a profound political challenge but also as a spiritual and imaginative one. Delving into topics ranging from the clash between ecological time and our culture of "perpetual now," to rising white supremacy and fortressed borders as a form of "climate barbarism," this is a rousing call to action for a planet on the brink. With reports spanning from the ghostly Great Barrier Reef, to the annual smoke-choked skies of the Pacific Northwest, from post-hurricane Puerto Rico, to a Vatican attempting an unprecedented 'ecological conversion,' Klein makes the case that we will rise to the existential challenge of climate change only if we are willing to transform the systems that produced this crisis. An expansive, far-ranging exploration that sees the battle for a greener world as indistinguishable from the fight for our lives, On Fire captures the burning urgency of the climate crisis, as well as the energy of a rising political movement demanding change now.
A glimpse inside
The Climate Crisis Is a Political Crisis
Klein argues that the roots of climate change are inseparable from the political and economic systems—particularly neoliberal capitalism—that prioritize profit over people and planet. She contends that incremental reforms are inadequate, and that only a fundamental transformation of our political priorities and economic structures can address the scale of the crisis. The climate emergency is thus also a crisis of democracy, accountability, and values.
The Green New Deal as a Framework for Justice
Central to the book is Klein’s advocacy for a Green New Deal—a sweeping policy vision that tackles climate change while also addressing social inequality, racial justice, and economic insecurity. She insists that climate solutions must be tied to justice, offering not just decarbonization but also jobs, healthcare, and dignity for marginalized communities. The Green New Deal is presented as an opportunity for societal renewal, not just environmental repair.
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Open Library
★ 4.7 / 5
3 ratings
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6 key ideas, distilled
- 1The Climate Crisis Is a Political Crisis
- 2The Green New Deal as a Framework for Justice
- 3Climate Change Exacerbates Inequality
- 4Imagination and Hope as Political Tools
- 5Climate Barbarism vs. Climate Justice
Popular quotes from On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal
“There are no non-radical solutions left.”
“The task is not to save the world, it is to change it.”
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For more than twenty years, Naomi Klein has been the foremost chronicler of the economic war waged on both people and planet - and the champion of a sweeping environmental agenda with justice at its centre. Her books have defined our era. On Fire gathers for the first time more than a decade of her impassioned writing from the frontline of climate change, and pairs it with new material on the stag