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On one level, the environmental message that emerges from The Monkey Wrench Gang can be seen as relevant. There is still a desire to industrialize at the cost of environmental protection. The fact that we still struggle with human made forces of pollution, overcrowding, and not living in balance with the natural world is reflective of the book's environmental message which is still relevant. The resentment towards the Glen Canyon Dam, which is meant to constrain a beautiful body of water, can be seen today in the design of industrialists that seek to take from the natural setting. I think that the book's primary message of identifying the industrial and material conditions which threaten the environment are still relevant today.
One way in which there could be a decrease in relevance of the book's message would be in the approach that the gang takes. I think that environmental advocacy has become more viral, more geared towards a technological edge, and demonstrative of greater savvy than the isolated and anarchist approach of the monkey wrench gang. In the modern setting, greater environmental activity can be seen in online endeavors and the use of social media as a means of protest. This was more advanced than the book's approach. At the same time, the modern environmental message is more inclusive of Native Americans and animal rights than what the book shows. The ethics of environmentalism in the modern setting would challenge some of the depictions shown in the book. While there are some significant differences between both time frames, the overall message of challenging the industrial sector that detracts from environmental understanding is relevant.
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