DOCSLIB.ORG

Hidden Passage the Journal of Glen Canyon Institute Issue XVI, Fall Conference 2008 HP16CPC.Qxd:HP16.Qxd 12/2/08 1:07 PM Page 2

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Hidden Passage the Journal of Glen Canyon Institute Issue XVI, Fall Conference 2008 HP16CPC.Qxd:HP16.Qxd 12/2/08 1:07 PM Page 2 HP16CPC.qxd:HP16.qxd 12/2/08 1:07 PM Page 1 Hidden Passage the journal of glen canyon institute Issue XVI, Fall Conference 2008 HP16CPC.qxd:HP16.qxd 12/2/08 1:07 PM Page 2 Lifeblood of the West: The Colorado River, Its Value and Future Glen Canyon Institute by Dave Wegner President I n 1992, Professor Charles Wilkinson published a book entitled Crossing the Next Richard Ingebretsen Meridian: Land, Water and the Future of the West. Wilkinson put forth a premise that the people of the West were grappling with the legacy of the “lords of yesterday” Board of Trustees who divided up, developed, and created empires surrounding water, minerals, graz- Mikhail Davis ing, and timber. The criteria and logic used by these lords of yesterday were based Ed Dobson largely on a static, unchanging system of water supply and climate. Today we know Wade Graham that the system is changing—and fast. Margaret Hoffman Nancy Jacques Water supply and climate have a direct effect on many of the things we need and Rick Ridder cherish about the West—the forests, the rivers, the lakes, the species, recreation, Lea Rudee water to drink, and farming and ranching communities. In order to continue to Dave Wegner enjoy and protect these valuable resources we must evaluate the potential impacts from our changing global climate. Development Director Since 1996, Glen Canyon Institute has championed the protection and restoration Amy Collins of Glen Canyon, described variously as The Place No One Knew (Elliot Porter) to an Earthstone Drum and Crystal Wave (Katie Lee). Mention the word Glen Canyon to Advisory Committee anyone in the West and you are likely to get a response ranging from a shaking of the Dan Beard head in disbelief as to what has been lost to a jumping up and down in giddy pleas- Steve Black ure by water users. It is a place that elicits a response and perhaps that is why it is Philmer Bluehouse Ryan Brown important that we not forget it. Niklas Christensen Agustin Garza Setting the Stage for the Conference Michael Kellett Peter Lavigne Beginning in the late 1800s, the Colorado River was lusted over, divided up by the Katie Lee seven Colorado River Basin States, and put to work—providing water for irrigation Daniel McCool and development, creating hydropower, and serving as an economic engine for the Francis McDermott Bruce Mouro American Southwest. Somewhere along the way of so-called progress, the nature and Tom Myers value of the water as a river were forgotten. Forgotten until Katie Lee, David Brower, Page Stegner Martin Litton, Eliot Porter, Ed Abbey, Ken Sleight and others began to raise our con- Flake Wells sciousness. Bill Wolverton Glen Canyon Institute organized this conference around two themes: one dealing with the likely impact of climate change on the water resources of the Colorado River 1520 Sunnydale Lane system, a system that is going to see massive change in terms of the quantity, quality Salt Lake City, Utah 84108 and timing of the water supply. The second theme of the conference is to highlight tel (801) 363-4450 and discuss efforts by people to help keep the essence of the Colorado Plateau alive fax (801) 363-4451 in all of us. What we cannot forget is the hard work and vision that others have had [email protected] to lay the path for the next generation of conservationists. www.glencanyon.org Hidden Passage In the 1990s, the term “global climate change” began to gain traction, predomi- Issue XVI Fall Conference 2008 nantly as concerns regarding the ozone hole over Antarctica and the loss of glaciers in South and North America began to hit the public press. Scientists had been talk- Editor ing about this but lacked hard data to support a scientifically rigorous review of the Wade Graham potential and possibility. With advances in computer analysis, and the ability to han- [email protected] dle large amounts of data, scientists with inquiring minds began seeing trends and relationships between climate and ocean currents and temperatures, atmospheric printed on 100% recycled paper conditions, and responses of vegetation communities, aquatic and terrestrial habitats Cover: Glen Canyon Dam with 145-foot tall “bathtub ring,” April 12, 2005. Photo by page 2 Jim Kay — jameskay.com HP16CPC.qxd:HP16.qxd 12/2/08 1:08 PM Page 3 and species, and water supplies. should be interpreted and potentially used by water managers. The challenges for all of us who call the Colorado River Following the scientific discussion, we will focus on the Basin home, or use the resources from it, is how to live within artists and activists who have dedicated their expertise to the our means and protect and preserve the critical elements of the Colorado Plateau and Glen Canyon: the grande dame of the Colorado Plateau. Glen Canyon Institute believes that deci- Colorado River, Katie Lee; Jim Kay and his spectacular nature sions regarding the management of water and resources in the photography; and Bill Wolverton and his decades long work to Colorado River Basin should be based on sound and credible rid Glen Canyon of invasive tamarisk and Russian olive. science. Towards that end the Institute has invited scientists who have done important work that addresses relationships Last, but certainly not least is a discussion of what we need between climate change and future water supplies of the to do to develop the conservation leaders needed to carry the Colorado River Basin. These are scientists who have produced message for our living systems. Martin Litton, protector of peer-reviewed studies that are pertinent to decision-makers Grand Canyon and the giant Sequoias; Barbara and Kenneth today. The primary objec- Brower (daughter and son tive of this conference is to of the later Ann and David bring together key scien- Brower); and Ken Sleight, tists and advocates provid- advocate for the Colorado ing information for all Plateau, will discuss what it entities to consider and uti- takes to be an environmen- lize. tal advocate and hero. This discussion will culminate Dr. Tim Barnett will dis- in the evening presentation cuss his and David Pierce’s of the David R. Brower recent work on evaluating Conservation Award to the potential impact of Congressman George reduced water availability Miller, long an advocate and the water levels of Lake for the Colorado River and Mead. Dr. Gregory the environmental McCabe will discuss the implications of reduced water supplies resources of our country and the world. Before he passed away, and what it may mean to potential shortages in the Colorado Glen Canyon Institute co-founder David Brower was emphatic River Basin. Discussing the potential implications of these that we should make this presentation to those who are true future predictions on water supply to the Colorado River Basin advocates and believe in the value and purpose of combining will include: Brad Udall, who will focus on the broader range science, passion, and commitment to the natural resources of of issues related to reduced water supplies in the West and what this country. it means to water managers; Dr. Connie Woodhouse, who will discuss her tree-ring studies and what they tell us about past In Summary climate fluctuations; and finally, Dave Wegner, who will discuss the implications of climate change on the species and their Glen Canyon Institute is committed to bringing together the habitats in the Colorado River Basin and implications for scientific, artistic, political and decision-making expertise that resources management. will help us all protect and manage the natural, cultural and social resources of the Colorado River system. While we desire Science is an important foundation for making decisions. to protect and restore Glen Canyon, we realize that protecting Interpreting science and presenting it in formats that decision- and restoring Glen Canyon requires us to look at the big pic- makers can understand is the role of managers, academicians, ture and bring together diverse groups of people to find solu- and the public. The afternoon session focuses on discussing the tions, not more problems. We stand committed to Glen implications of the scientific results and how it is interpreted in Canyon and its resources and we invite all of you to join us in respect to legal and management implications. Robert Adler that passion. Welcome to the conference. and Dan McCool, both professors at the University of Utah will join the scientists in asking how the information presented Lower Wahweap Bay, 95 feet below full pool, April 27, 2003. Photo by Jim Kay — jameskay.com page 3 HP16CPC.qxd:HP16.qxd 12/2/08 1:08 PM Page 4 ADJUSTING TO LESS WATER: CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE COLORADO RIVER A Conference Sponsored by Glen Canyon Institute Thursday, December 4, 2008 University of Utah Conference Center/Officer’s Club - Salt Lake City Doors open 8:30 am Phone (801) 363-4450, Fax (801) 363-4451 Email [email protected] SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS 8:30-9:00 CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST Welcome: Richard Ingebretsen, President, Glen Canyon Institute Session Moderator: Wade Graham, Trustee, Glen Canyon Institute 9:00-9:45 Sustainability of the Colorado Water Supply: A Glimpse Ahead • Tim Barnett, Research Marine Physicist, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego 9:45-10:30 Warming and Potential Water Supply Shortages • Gregory McCabe, Project Chief and Physical Scientist, United States Geological Survey, National Research Program, Water Resources Division, Denver, Colorado 10:30-10:45 BREAK 10:45-12:00 Implications of Declining Colorado River Flows • Bradley Udall, Director, NOAA Western Water Assessment, University of Colorado • Connie Woodhouse, Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Regional Development and Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona • David Wegner, Science Director and Trustee, Glen Canyon Institute 12:00-1:00 BREAK FOR LUNCH 1:00-2:00 Summary and Panel Discussion: Scientific Research Direction and Needs Session Moderator: David Wegner, Science Director and Trustee, Glen Canyon Institute Previous presenters will be joined on the panel by: • Robert Adler, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and James I.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Comprehensive Review of the Fill Lake Mead First Initiative
    Comprehensive Review of the Fill Lake Mead First Initiative Trevor Carey ECL 290 February 28th, 2018 Lake Powell • Commissioned in 1966, full pool 1980 • 2nd largest man-made reservoir in United States (24.3 MAF) • Important for water storage and power generation for the Western United States USBR (2015) Impacts of Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam Fish Mollie & Aviva: Showed the dam almost eliminated sediment flows, decreased river temp. and allowed for a more hospitable environment for non-native fish. Vanessa: Discussed how dams contributed the extirpation of native fish. Water Rights Jesse & Jennifer: Native American’s access to water rights in the upper and lower basin, (Navajo water rights are in the Lake Powell watershed). Sediment Jeff: Sediment regime of the lower basin has been completely altered by impoundment of Lake Powell. Sarah: How dams contributed to changes to riparian ecosystems. Jasmin: Using high flow experiments to redistribute sediment and create beaches Dam Operation Marisa: Citizen science program looking at tidal effects caused by the dam Other Ann: Habitat destruction of the Kanab Ambersnail from high flows Fill Lake Mead First Initiative • Reservoir levels of both Lake Mead & Powell have been hovering around 50% full • Recent studies Barnett and Pierce (2008) and Kirk et al. (2017) showed reservoir levels will continue to decline, and hot drier conditions will be more common • Drain water from Lake Powell to fill Lake Mead • Glen Canyon dam would become a run of the river dam, with additional flood control capacity if needed Data courtesy of water-data.com Goals of FLMF • First proposed by Glen Canyon Institute in 2013 • Identified 3 goals of the initiative: 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Sierra Club Office of the Executive Director Records, Creator: Sierra Club
    http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/hb300008hk No online items Sierra Club Office of the Executive Director Records BANC MSS 2002/230 c Finding aid written by Elizabeth Stephens, Tanya Hollis. Funding for processing the David Brower papers provided by Mr. and Mrs. Brian Maxwell. The Bancroft Library The Bancroft Library University of California Berkeley, CA 94720-6000 (510) 642-6481 [email protected] Sierra Club Office of the Executive BANC MSS 2002/230 c 1 Director Records BANC MSS 2002/230 c Language of Material: English Contributing Institution: The Bancroft Library Title: Sierra Club Office of the Executive Director records, creator: Sierra Club. Executive Director. Identifier/Call Number: BANC MSS 2002/230 c Physical Description: 65 linear feet15 boxes, 44 cartons, 2 oversize boxes, 24 oversize folders Date (inclusive): 1933-1997 Abstract: The Sierra Club Office of the Executive Director Records contain the office files of the Executive Directors and may include correspondence, memos, board and committee minutes, reports and other documents relating to club administration, policy and procedure. The bulk of the collection pertains to the club's Conservation Program and includes information about specific projects as well as research files containing reports and other print materials on related issues. Language of Material: Collection materials are in English. Physical Location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog. Restrictions Collection is open for research. Publication Rights Copyright has not been assigned to The Bancroft Library. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services.
    [Show full text]
  • David Ross Brower and Nature's Laws: in Memoriam
    Pace Environmental Law Review Volume 18 Issue 2 Summer 2001 Article 1 June 2001 David Ross Brower and Nature's Laws: In Memoriam Nicholas A. Robinson Pace University School of Law, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/pelr Recommended Citation Nicholas A. Robinson, David Ross Brower and Nature's Laws: In Memoriam, 18 Pace Envtl. L. Rev. 221 (2001) Available at: https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/pelr/vol18/iss2/1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Law at DigitalCommons@Pace. It has been accepted for inclusion in Pace Environmental Law Review by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Pace. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PACE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW REVIEW Volume 18 Summer 2001 Number 2 IN MEMORIAM Left to Right: Professor Nicholas A. Robinson, David R. Brower, and Dean Emeritus Richard L. Ottinger, at Pace University School of Law, World Environment Day, June 5, 1997. David Ross Brower and Nature's Laws "We're not blindly opposed to progress. We're opposed to blind progress."1 These words summed up the style and power of David R. Brower. Indelibly, he chiseled toe hold after toe hold on an ar- duous climb across the rock face of the commercial forces driven to seek short-term gain from natural resources and oblivious to the 1. Richard Severo, David Brower, An Aggressive Champion of U.S. Environ- mentalism, Is Dead at 88, N.Y. TIMES, Nov. 7, 2000, at C22 (quoting David R. Brower). 1 222 PACE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW REVIEW [Vol.
    [Show full text]
  • Cogjm.Con Rec 06-28-67.Pdf (1.149Mb)
    UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF RECLAMATION GRAND JUNCTION PROJECTS OFFICE • REGION 4 P', 0, BOX t'I'ZI IN REPLY REFER TO: GJ•lOO GRAND JUNCTION. COLORADO 81!501 J ul 1 3 1967 Bill Nelson c/o Daily Sentinel 634 Main Grand Junction, Colorado 81501 Dear Bill: Enclosed is a copy of a portion of the June 28, 1967, Congressional Record which I agreed to forward to you. Makes mighty interesting reading and I hope you enjoy it. Enclosure June 28, 1907 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD- HOUSE H8245 there must be some increase in State traordinary growth in some areas o! Club was a depressing blow to those who highway income in order to provide the the country. assumed that agency was immune to necessary matching funds to support a The State h ighway offi cials recom­ political machination. It leaves a stench continuing program of the magnitude m ended the establishment of an urban that increases in intensity as the general co ntempla ted. system covering improvements on arte­ public comes to realize the impropriety The highway offi cials are recommend­ rial roads and streets in the urban areas and inequity involved in making an out­ ing a modest extension of the interstate to be selected cooperatively by the States standing patriotic organization the tar­ program to provide for increasing the and t he urban areas involved. get of an absurd and malicious attack. safety and capacity of those interstate A tabulation and summary of the pro­ If anyone doubts that the Sierra Club routes which prove to..be overloaded and gram recommended by the State high­ was singled out for reprisal without jus­ for some limited extension of the system way officials is shown in the accompany­ tification, then he has not read "Colo­ as dictated by population shifts and ex- ing table: rado Water Lobby," by Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Busting the Big One Activists Claim That Decommissioning Glen Canyon Dam Will Save Water and Restore a Wild Canyon
    BUSTING THE BIG ONE Activists claim that decommissioning Glen Canyon Dam will save water and restore a wild canyon. Are they right? BY Krista LaNGLOIS “I just read n 1963, Glen Canyon was pronounced dead. Glen Can- Meanwhile, Lake Powell may be squandering the very re- yon Dam had submerged its fabled grottoes, Ancestral source it was designed to protect. Every day, water slowly seeps what everyone Puebloan cliff dwellings and slickrock chutes beneath the into the soft, porous sandstone beneath the reservoir and evapo- else had I stagnant water of Lake Powell, and forever altered the rates off its surface into the desert air. When more water flowed in ecology of the Grand Canyon just downstream. the system, this hardly mattered. But in an era where “every drop forgotten.” For wilderness lovers, the 710-foot-tall concrete wall stuck counts,” says Eric Balken, executive director of the nonprofit Glen out of the Colorado River like a middle finger — an insult that Canyon Institute, it calls for a drastic re-evaluation of the Colo- —Jack Schmidt, helped ignite the modern environmental movement. In 1981, rado River’s plumbing. “The Colorado River can no longer sustain watershed scientist the radical group Earth First! faked a “crack” on the dam by two huge reservoirs,” Balken says. “There isn’t enough water.” who evaluated water unfurling a 300-foot-long black banner down the structure’s That’s one reason the Glen Canyon Institute is pushing an savings and loss from Lake Powell front. The Sierra Club’s first executive director, David Brower, audacious proposal called “Fill Mead First,” which calls for the and Lake Mead considered the dam’s construction a personal failure and spent U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • A WILDERNESS-FOREVER FUTURE a Short History of the National Wilderness Preservation System
    A WILDERNESS-FOREVER FUTURE A Short History of the National Wilderness Preservation System A PEW WILDERNESS CENTER RESEARCH REPORT A WILDERNESS-FOREVER FUTURE A Short History of the National Wilderness Preservation System DOUGLAS W. SCOTT Here is an American wilderness vision: the vision of “a wilderness- forever future.” This is not my phrase, it is Howard Zahniser’s. And it is not my vision, but the one that I inherited, and that you, too, have inherited, from the wilderness leaders who went before. A Wilderness-Forever Future. Think about that. It is It is a hazard in a movement such as ours that the core idea bound up in the Wilderness Act, which newer recruits, as we all once were, may know too holds out the promise of “an enduring resource of little about the wilderness work of earlier generations. wilderness.” It is the idea of saving wilderness forever Knowing something of the history of wilderness —in perpetuity. preservation—nationally and in your own state— is important for effective wilderness advocacy. In Perpetuity. Think of the boldness of that ambition! As Zahniser said: “The wilderness that has come to us The history of our wilderness movement and the char- from the eternity of the past we have the boldness to acter and methods of those who pioneered the work project into the eternity of the future.”1 we continue today offer powerful practical lessons. The ideas earlier leaders nurtured and the practical tools Today this goal may seem obvious and worthy, but and skills they developed are what have brought our the goal of preserving American wilderness in per- movement to its present state of achievement.
    [Show full text]
  • From Wilderness to the Toxic Environment: Health in American Environmental Politics, 1945-Present
    From Wilderness to the Toxic Environment: Health in American Environmental Politics, 1945-Present The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Thomson, Jennifer Christine. 2013. From Wilderness to the Toxic Environment: Health in American Environmental Politics, 1945- Present. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University. Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:11125030 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA From Wilderness to the Toxic Environment: Health in American Environmental Politics, 1945-Present A dissertation presented by Jennifer Christine Thomson to The Department of the History of Science In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the subject of History of Science Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts May 2013 @ 2013 Jennifer Christine Thomson All rights reserved. Dissertation Advisor: Charles Rosenberg Jennifer Christine Thomson From Wilderness to the Toxic Environment: Health in American Environmental Politics, 1945-Present Abstract This dissertation joins the history of science and medicine with environmental history to explore the language of health in environmental politics. Today, in government policy briefs and mission statements of environmental non-profits, newspaper editorials and activist journals, claims about the health of the planet and its human and non-human inhabitants abound. Yet despite this rhetorical ubiquity, modern environmental politics are ideologically and organizationally fractured along the themes of whose health is at stake and how that health should be protected.
    [Show full text]
  • Fill Mead First: a Technical Assessment1 Executive Summary
    Fill Mead First: a technical assessment1 John C. Schmidt2 with contributions from Maggi Kraft3, Daphnee Tuzlak4, and Alex Walker3 White Paper No. 1 Center for Colorado River Studies Quinney College of Natural Resources Utah State University November 10, 2016 Executive Summary The Fill Mead First (FMF) plan would establish Lake Mead reservoir as the primary water storage facility of the main-stem Colorado River and would relegate Lake Powell reservoir to a secondary water storage facility to be used only when Lake Mead is full. The objectives of the FMF plan are to re-expose some of Glen Canyon’s sandstone walls that are now inundated, begin the process of re-creating a riverine ecosystem in Glen Canyon, restore a more natural stream-flow, temperature, and sediment-supply regime of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon ecosystem, and reduce system-wide water losses caused by evaporation and movement of reservoir water into ground-water storage. The FMF plan would be implemented in three phases. Phase I would involve lowering Lake Powell to the minimum elevation at which hydroelectricity can still be produced (called minimum power pool elevation): 3490 ft asl (feet above sea level). At this elevation, the water surface area of Lake 1 suggested citation: Schmidt, J. C., Kraft, M., Tuzlak, D., and Walker, A. 2016. Fill Mead First: a technical assessment. Logan, Utah State University Quinney College of Natural Resources, Center for Colorado River Studies, white paper no. 1, 80 p., available at <https://qcnr.usu.edu/wats/colorado_river_studies/>. 2 corresponding author; Department of Watershed Sciences, Utah State University, Logan UT 84322-5210; [email protected] 3 graduate student, Department of Watershed Sciences 4 graduate student, Department of Geology 1 Powell is approximately 77 mi2, which is 31% of the surface area when the reservoir is full.
    [Show full text]
  • Glen Canyon Unit, CRSP, Arizona and Utah
    Contents Glen Canyon Unit ............................................................................................................................2 Project Location...................................................................................................................3 Historic Setting ....................................................................................................................4 Project Authorization .........................................................................................................8 Pre-Construction ................................................................................................................14 Construction.......................................................................................................................21 Project Benefits and Uses of Project Water.......................................................................31 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................36 Notes ..................................................................................................................................39 Bibliography ......................................................................................................................46 Index ..................................................................................................................................52 Glen Canyon Unit The Glen Canyon Unit, located along the Colorado River in north central
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Kate Wilkins Fill Mead First
    1 Kate Wilkins Fill Mead First: What is Glen Canyon Dam’s value and should it be decommissioned? “Glen Canyon was built on the assumption that is was necessary- period,” concludes attorney Scott Miller in his analysis of undamming Glen Canyon and draining Lake Powell (Miller, 2007). Sixty one years after the dam was approved by Congress, critics continue to Commented [spl1]: Great opener. However the source of the quote needs to be cited. In fact as I look below the first question the initial justifications of, and the continuing need for, Glen Canyon Dam (GCD) and citation comes at the end of the third paragraph. Scholarly the colossal lake it holds back. The Bureau of Reclamation and dam proponents claim that the papers attribute sources next to each idea or fact derived from storage and power created by the dam was and remains absolutely vital to the West (Bureau of the literature. Reclamation, 2008). GCD critics believe that constructing the dam came at too great a cost to the natural environment and it would be beneficial, economically and ecologically, to decommission the dam as soon as possible (Glen Canyon Institute). It is difficult to compare the merits of these opposing stances, especially when considering existence values and criteria that do not have clear costs and benefit value. It is easier to analyze the economic effect of decommissioning GCD, often presented under the option “Fill Mead First”. One the United States’ greatest engineering feats is a story of value tradeoffs and economic uncertainty – pitting water storage, clean power and recreation against ecological health and Glen Canyon’s existence.
    [Show full text]
  • David Brower: the Making of the Environmental Movement by Tom Turner
    Review: David Brower: The Making of the Environmental Movement By Tom Turner Reviewed by Byron Anderson DeKalb, Illinois, USA Turner, Tom. David Brower: The Making of the Environmental Movement. University of California Press, 2015; x, 308 pp. ISBN: 978-0-520-27836-3 US $29.95 cloth; 978-1- 520-96245-3 US$29.95 ebook . Printed on 30 percent post-consumer waste paper. In the Foreword, Bill McKibben equates Bower to John Muir and regards Brower as the most important conservationist in twentieth century America. David Bower had an “indomitable spirit” that “drew you in” (p. x). Yet, for those who personally knew him, Brower was a complicated person who, depending on the circumstances, could be labeled as charismatic, imaginative, aggressive, or reckless, among other descriptors. Among his more notable flaws, he had difficultly falling in line with authority, such as, bylaws and board directives. Brower was a long-time member of the Sierra Club and was its one and only executive director. Brower moved the Sierra Club from an outings club to a conservation club, a move that greatly increased the membership. He led campaigns to create parks, block dams, and in working with Howard Zahniser, win passage of the Wilderness Act of 1964. Brower also had failures, for example, supporting Glen Canyon Dam in trade for blocking two dams in the Dinosaur National Monument. In later years he realized that Glen Canyon would have been well worth saving as well. Brower pioneered in the effective use of mass media, including films, Exhibit Format books, and full newspaper ads.
    [Show full text]
  • David Brower and American Environmentalism Mountain Division
    I N THE LI TERATURE THE ARCHDRUID REVEALED He was a college dropout, worked in publishing, and was awarded a Bronze Star in World War II with the Tenth David Brower and American Environmentalism Mountain Division. He married, for life, Anne Hus, whom Turner By G. Tracy Mehan III describes as her husband’s “sternest critic and his staunchest defender.” She raised their four children, almost “To me, God and nature are synony- Brower as “the single most infuential alone, given Brower’s constant travels mous.” — David Brower force on environmental policy in the delivering the “sermon” on environ- United States and on the environmen- mental protection. avid Brower, the subject of tal movement” in the 20th century. David Brower’s love of the high John McPhee’s famous New Yet, Brooks, as a voting member of country and nature was genuine, Yorker essays, later published the American board of FOE, writes, spontaneous, and preceded his more Das Encounters with the Archdruid “I can still remember the sense of re- philosophical justifcations, which (1971), was the driving force in the gret as I cast my vote against David came later in his life. He loved nature creation and growth of the Sierra [Brower] as president.” in all its aspects and could even identi- Club, Friends of the Earth, and Earth Brower, it seems, did not “manage fy various species of butterfies by their Island Institute. He was an inspira- up” very well and viewed board poli- fight patterns. tion to environmentalists across the cies and budgets as mere suggestions Turner recounts the great early country, and a master of hardball and to be disregarded whenever they con- battles Brower led, most notably sophisticated advocacy in opposition ficted with his own ideas about envi- against dam building in the Dino- to dams, nuclear power plants, and ronmental advocacy.
    [Show full text]