In "The Burning Earth," historian Sunil Amrith reveals how the draining of East Anglia's wetlands showcases the longstanding conflict between the powerful and the marginalized, illustrating environmental exploitation.
Amrith emphasizes the ecological and cultural richness of the fenlands, stating that "these wetlands sustained a richness of human and more-than-human life that was now in danger" during the 1620s.
The author describes the resistance of locals, known as the Fen Tigers, who "smashed the dams, dykes, and sluice gates that had been installed to divert rivers" as an act of defiance against their dispossession.
This historical pattern of exploitation, where the powerful exploit natural resources for profit at the expense of the environment and marginalized communities, is repeated globally, according to Amrith.
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