"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world." Yes. Well. In spite of the unalterable fact that William Butler Yeats said it best in "The Second Coming," writers and artists still feel the compunction to present their side of the apocalypse, now.

In As the World Burns: 50 Simple Things You Can Do To Stay in Denial, a graphic novel by Derrick Jensen and Stephanie McMillian, our environmental problem can be traced to the new trilateral commission of Corporate America, Law Enforcement and the Religious Right (big surprise). Sweeping lists of blame ("Did you know that all by itself, Exxon Mobil has released five percent of all carbon emissions put out by this culture?") show that no matter how many low- energy light bulbs are bought by consumers, the earth is still in torment and headed for destruction. While accountability should begin at the top, this book wears thin on presenting great lists of facts (are these statements true?) and blaming most institutions for unmitigated corruption (business, government, religion, psychology).

Graphically, the book's style is nefarious naivete, with pony-tailed urchins discussing the aforementioned long lists in barren landscapes of dead fish in oozing rivers, or big-headed politicians behind great big desks selling the earth to aliens, or lackadaisical liberals in eternal committee meetings in blank-walled rooms. It's like a Brecht play, without the dancing and the great music.

However, its large scope and indictment of every facet of society is, to say the least, thought-provoking. What if it is true that our self-righteous recycling habits matter not at all, and are just a way for The Man to keep us down while feeling better about ourselves? What is one to do?

REACH FOR A COPY of The Small-Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition by Michael H. Shuman. Heralded by Bill McKibben and winner of the 2007 Independent Publisher Bronze Medal Award for Best Business Book, this book looks at the myths behind economic development and posits that a true revolution is not about spending any more on goods and services, but about "consumers shopping more carefully, weighing quality as well as price, being more attentive to the expense of travel and time, and accounting wisely for the costs to their community exacted by non-local purchases."

Instead of Wal-Mart bashing (the book opens with the author's confessional anecdote of shopping at the behemoth) and bemoaning the wretchedness of tax incentives given to large corporations, Shuman offers reasons to cultivate smaller, more local businesses: A smaller business operates on a more efficient economy of scale; small, simple changes from many people bring about large movements; niche marketing can be a guaranteed route for local success; a network of flexible manufacturing companies who collaborate makes all members stronger. While the first half of the book is thick with economics and theory, the second half presents case studies and to-do lists that ground the philosophy.

Perhaps the most evocative statement Shuman makes is to look at where we put our money. Banking locally means much more than visiting a local branch - it means using credit unions and small thrifts for major loans; realizing that most credit-card processing is non-local, as are the interest payments; that both foundations and government need to be prodded to fund small business; that pension funds should be able to invest in local real estate, venture and hedge funds. While he doesn't mention Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank and winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, Shuman makes a strong case for the value of microcredit and microfunds.

Finally, the book presents two in-depth community case studies where identifying and tracking economic leaks and analyzing local assets turned St. Lawrence County in New York and the Katahdin Region in Maine into more economically viable and more desirable communities. Perhaps our region, with its dearth of thoughtful economic development and a glut of housing stock, should look at someone like Brad Kittel from Austin, Texas, who builds tiny houses from salvaged building materials.

The least we can do, in this era that often seems doom-laden, is to pick up our trash (pro-environment), put on the porch light (anti-crime) and smile at the people you pass on the street (guerilla courtesy).

As The World Burns: 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Stay in Denial
by Derrick Jensen & Stephanie McMillan,
224 pages, paper, $14.95
Seven Stories Press, 2007

The Small-Mart Revolution:How Local Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition
By Michael H. Shurman
285 pages, paper, $16.95
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc., 2007