I really enjoyed this anthology and belief its a very important and timely read. Drawing similarities between economic and environmental justice is a critical part of the discussion around climate change. I also learned a lot about collaboration between unions and climate activists.

Informative and rebellious. An insight into how to change our narrative on the dubious, them vs you argument of environment vs jobs. Provides insight into what it means to be a worker in the modern world, and how the word has evolved to fit in with societal expectations of wanting to live better, for all of us. How the people, the workers, have the power and we need to constantly hold ourselves to a higher knowledge of how things work, and more importantly, how they can work to change. If we stay complacent, our overlords will forever rule and keep us small in not only our stature, but in our purpose: which is to alway strive for better.

I mean, seriously, people. Aren't we all tired of seeing archaic power lines from our grandparents' days? They went to the moon, and we still have to worry if our fans will work in the summer because of our poor, ancient system of power, or if the coming thunderstorm will put our fridges out of order for days. Read this. Step up your knowledge, and your gains of how you can be apart of the future. The corporate overlords could exist to provide for our children, but they'd prefer to line their pockets, while carelessly putting the planet, our one and only, mind you, into an early climate crisis, all so they can afford another yacht or summer home. All while underpaying you and taking away your health insurance. Get informed. Read this and share. A truly useful insight on what needs to be our future, and what should have already been our present.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the essays that smartly situate the problem of climate change as directly effecting everyone except the uber wealthy, and how the fake dichotomy of climate change vs workers is put in place by those who will benefit most at the cost of our communities and the environment. Great set of essays and a fun read for anyone who is already pro-orca in the great war on billionaires.

Thank you to the publisher, New Press, for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!


Power Lines is an anthology of works exploring the intersections of the labor and environmental justice movements. Told in a series of “spark stories,” the book explores the labor-climate movement across the United States. The essays and interviews in this book- the spark stories- are called these because of the editors’ “hopes that these sparks will catch fire into a labor-climate justice movement capable of winning a just transition to a healthy, regenerative, equitable, and democratic economy.”

This book truly has something for everyone. The essays and interviews are educational, informative, and provide hope for the reader. It explores the history of the labor and environmental justice movements, their collaborations in the past, while tracing the current growth of the labor-climate movement.

Though written by professionals, the book is incredibly accessible no matter your level of political knowledge and involvement. Also, while this is an introductory work of sorts, it is also a deep dive into this political movement. Readers will come away feeling educated without being overwhelmed.

What I appreciated most about this book is that it is truly intersectional. There was diversity of age, race, gender, immigration status, geographic location, occupation and more. I was surprised and appreciative to see a spark story from a Spanish speaker (English translations were provided along with the Spanish answers).

As a Gen-Z person living in a state heavily dependent on coal, the essays that most spoke to me were “YOUNG WORKERS CAN BRIDGE THE LABOR AND CLIMATE MOVEMENTS” and “ORGANIZING COAL COUNTRY.” My personal favorite was the essay about food workers organizing and growing into the organization Familias Unidos por la Justicia- “OUR WORK IS WHAT MAKES THE FOOD SYSTEM GO.” The essays I found most educational, though were “PUSHING FOR A GREEN NEW DEAL FOR EDUCATION FROM BELOW” and “KILLING THE WIINDIGO.”