Personal stories on nine inspiring women who cherish earth

The author, John Watts, is a retired Sydney barrister who accidentally became involved in opposing a coal seam gas field and a coal mine on the doorstep of the small NSW township of Gloucester. 

In the process he met and was impressed by many strong and committed women who were prepared to move out of their comfort zone to take a stand against powerful vested interests. It became apparent to him that women from many diverse backgrounds, have played and continue to play, a critical role in important environmental fights all over the country.

The author wondered what it was that such women had in common and what motivated them to stand up for what they believed in. 

This book is series of short biographies telling of the lives of nine inspirational women. Of the many others he could have chosen, he has selected these nine because, on the face of it, they have little in common. Seventy-two-year-old, private-school-educated Anne Kennedy could be perceived by those who meet her as being a rather conservative, upper middle-class grazier. What, the reader might ask, could she possibly have in common with someone such as Carly Phillips, who has locked on to trees, fracking equipment, and coal loaders – and been arrested several times in the process. And what could Carly have in common with the devoutly Catholic mother to seven children, Dom Jacobs, or with environmental lawyer and member of the NSW Parliament Sue Higginson.

What the book does is to not just explore the women’s environmental activities, but also delves into their lives and backgrounds so the reader might understand how and why they became so concerned about environmental destruction and were so motivated to act.

The book explains that activism comes in many different forms and that community action is often essential to protect the environment from corporations and governments It may well involve locking on to destructive equipment but, as shown by people like Queensland Public Service whistle-blower Simone Marsh, and OH&S consultant Shay Dougall, it covers a much broader range of activities. Local woman Linda Gill spent many years as a Great Lakes Councillor working within the system for better environmental outcomes while Jo Evans has used her skills as a graphic artist to fight against the rapacious coal seam gas industry.

All nine women have been prepared to talk openly and frankly about the most intimate details of their lives, including sharing some very personal incidents and events. Many of the women’s stories touch on other important social issues such as suicide, sexual molestation, drug taking, mental illness, religious and child fostering, and Judi Summers discusses how she and her husband extracted themselves from a closed sect.

“Here are nine personal stories of brave-hearted women defying the greed and corruption smashing Australia’s environment, including its farmlands.

John Watts introduces us to women who light up the darkness of the climate and extinction emergencies with their flair and stoic commonsense. Each has acted to take on the gas frackers, coal miners, native forest loggers, wildlife killers, water profiteers and their political agents.

They ring the bell of ecological sanity. Uplifting. Motivating. Brilliant.”

Bob Brown.

Nine Lives For The Planet book is available on-line at
www.redbellybooks.com for $25 plus $5 postage and handling or in good bookshops for $27 plus GST.