Introduction to Part II

This chapter by The Guardian’s global environment editor, Jonathan Watts, introduces Part II of the book on the “defenders†of our natural environment. His experience overseeing and reporting on The Guardian’s own Defenders project convinced him of the need to “make global stories personal and to be able to show that courage, fear, desperation, anger, love and other human feelings are part of the environment story†. He goes on to describe the often harrowing stories of those who are defending their land, environment and their lives, and those who have been criminalized, beaten or have died doing so. During the year, he talked to dozens of their friends and families and the “defenders†themselves, and the chapters that follow are the voices of some of them. As Watts, says, “These and many others are risking their lives for their land and our Earth, defending forests, rivers, coastlines and wildlife†.