Probably you haven't given much thought to mangroves. I haven't. Only occasionally have I given any thought to their role in the climate, such as when they're mentioned briefly as a shelter during a hurricane in Under a Dark Summer Sky. Kennedy Warne, on the other hand, has devoted a tremendous amount of time, energy, and brain power, to the plight of the mangroves.
And that plight, unfortunately, is tied inextricably to the global economy. See, people like shrimp. Shrimp do remarkably well in the tropical climates that are so prevalent in the developing world. Ergo, from Brazil to Indonesia, shrimp farms have cleared away mangroves to create shrimp ponds, altering the environment, the way of life for the local population, and the market for this once-delicacy.
Warne is clearly passionate about the subject, but takes a fair and balanced approach to the topic. Let Them Eat Shrimp includes chapters on regions and countries that have recognized the problem and are working to rectify it (such as Eritrea, of all places), as well as those where the mangroves are legally, even constitutionally, protected, but where the on-the-ground practice is to turn a blind eye to wealthy and powerful shrimp farms and developers. (Here's to you, Ecuador.)
Warne, who not surprisingly writes for National Geographic, criss-crossed the globe from the Americas to Asia and Africa to understand the various forces at play and how the dynamics might be changed, the mangroves restored and saved. In that way, Let Them Eat Shrimp is as much travelogue as science, as much about raising consciousness as about guilt. He further reinforces the notion of understanding where our food comes from and choosing what to purchase based on more than the price.
Those who love science and nature writing, travel writing, and serious books that study complex issues and arrive at no easy solutions will especially appreciate Warne's work.
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