Author, campaigner and philosopher, Edward ‘Teddy’ Goldsmith stands out as one of the most important environmental thinkers of the last 50 years. His works and ideas have played a key role in the green movement in Britain, not least of all the establishment of the Ecologist in 1970, which provided a launch pad for the embryonic Green Party. Dedicated to Teddy’s life and work is a newly-launched website (www.edwardgoldsmith.org), which includes a comprehensive archive of all his published works including books, articles and essays as well as video interviews and transcripts. Set up to provide a forum for like-minded thinkers and as a platform for new environmental writers, edwardgoldsmith.org has plenty for the eco-conscious to love.
Always a difficult person to pigeonhole, Teddy’s writings don’t have an especially political flavour – not surprising for a man simultaneously accused of being a rightwing ideologue and a communist-liberal. Instead, Teddy spent more than 40 years questioning the orthodoxy of the modern world, actively writing, publishing and campaigning for social and environmental good. His rejection of an industrial society, individualism and economic development has played a key role in formulating the ideology of the green movement in Britain.
At the forefront of environmental awareness, Teddy Goldsmith founded the Ecologist in 1970. It was via this platform that he and a team of like-minded individuals enlivened 
the environmental debate, spread awareness and inspired thousands. His work can still be seen in its original magazine format in the Ecologist's archive. Since then, the magazine has grown into one of the world’s leading environmental publications reaching hundreds of thousands of people each month. The 1972 book, Blueprint for Survival, received widespread acclaim and sold in excess of 750,000 copies worldwide. Most notably, Blueprint led to the development of the British Green Party. 
Along with Blueprint, Teddy wrote and co-edited 17 books, most of which are available in their entirety on the new website. Fresh content is prefaced with a few sentences placing them in political and historic context, while news stories are linked back to Teddy’s oeuvre. One of the most important environmental writers this country has ever produced, if you haven’t yet come across his work, edwardgoldsmith.org is a brilliant place to start discovering Teddy’s unique worldview. Even if you have, it’s still well worth checking out.
For more information, see www.edwardgoldsmith.org
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COMMENT Teddy Goldsmith: a tribute A man of extraordinary humanity - as comfortable discussing farming with labourers as he was holding forth on the very nature of life itself. Peter Bunyard pays tribute to the rich life of Edward Goldsmith |
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NEWS ANALYSIS Teddy Goldsmith: godfather of green Having launched the Ecologist 37 years ago, Teddy Goldsmith was instrumental in everything from the setting up of the world's first political green party to being the first to expose many of the problems associated with global development, such as giant dams and nuclear power. Following his death on 21st August 2009, we reprint this interview with Teddy from the Ecologist March 2007 edition |
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SPECIAL CONTENT The Ecologist January 1980: A proposal to save the world’s tropical rain forests Thirty years ago this month, Edward Goldsmith published a revised version of WEAP, the World Ecological Areas Programme in the Ecologist |
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SPECIAL CONTENT The Ecologist December 1979: Can we control pollution? Thirty years ago Edward Goldsmith’s article ‘Can we control pollution?’ wondered what happens to pollution once we have ‘disposed’ of it |
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SPECIAL CONTENT The Ecologist July 1980: Our broken healthcare system In the tenth anniversary edition of the Ecologist, Edward Goldsmith took aim at a misguided approach to healthcare in industrialised countries, arguing instead for an ecological approach to both our physical and social ills |
