Forcing the Spring: The Transformation of the American Environmental Movement

521 Pages·2005·2.17 MB·English

by  Robert Gottlieb

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY/POLITICS
“. . . (a) provocative and original account . . .” The New York Review of Books
Originally published in 1993, Forcing the Spring was quickly recog-
nized as a seminal work in the field of environmental history. Linking
the environmental movement that emerged in the 1960s to earlier
progressive movements that had not previously been defined as envi- Revised and Updated Edition
ronmental, the book was the first to consider the importance of race,
ethnicity, class, and gender issues in the history and evolution of envi-
ronmentalism.
This revised edition extends the groundbreaking history and analysis of
Forcing the Spring into the present day. Its clear and controversial
presentation of the birth and maturation of the environmental move-
ment makes the book an ideal text for undergraduate students. Its deft
identification of the emerging strengths of the movement makes it a
powerful guide for future leaders.
Praise for the first edition of Forcing the Spring
“Gottlieb’s provocative and original account revises the conventional
story of environmentalists trying to preserve the land.”
—The New York Review of Books
“Forcing the Spring . . . is an important work, providing for general
readers as well as specialists the background to an emergent way of
thinking that goes beyond activism to define values that have quietly
begun to affect politics and society at all levels.”
—Christian Science Monitor
Robert Gotlieb is the Henry R. Luce Profesor of Urban Environ- FORCING TSHE pring
mental Studies and director of the Urban and Environmental Policy
Institute at Occidental College. He is author or co-author of ten books,
including Environmentalism Unbound (2002).
The
Transformation
of the
American
ISBN 1-55963-832-X Environmental
Washington • Covelo • London 90000 Movement
www.islandpress.org
All Island Press books are printed on
recycled, acid-free paper.
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Cover pdhesoitgon: Ybeyl lLoiwndsato Mnec KNnaitgiohntal Park, Wyoming. Corbis 9 781559 638326 Robert Gottlieb
Gottlieb FORCING TH
SE pring
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About Island Press
Island Press is the only nonprofit organization in the United
States whose principal purpose is the publication of books on
environmental issues and natural resource management. We pro-
vide solutions-oriented information to professionals, public offi-
cials, business and community leaders, and concerned citizens
who are shaping responses to environmental problems.
In 2005, Island Press celebrates its twenty-first anniversary as the
leading provider of timely and practical books that take a multidis-
ciplinary approach to critical environmental concerns. Our growing
list of titles reflects our commitment to bringing the best of an
expanding body of literature to the environmental community
throughout North America and the world.
Support for Island Press is provided by the Agua Fund, The
Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable
Foundation, Ford Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, The
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Kendeda Sustainability
Fund of the Tides Foundation, The Henry Luce Foundation, The
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Andrew W.
Mellon Foundation, The Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation,
The New-Land Foundation, The New York Community Trust, Oak
Foundation, The Overbrook Foundation, The David and Lucile
Packard Foundation, The Winslow Foundation, and other gener-
ous donors.
The opinions expressed in this book are those of the
author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of these foun-
dations.
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Revised and Updated Edition
FORCING THESpring
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Revised and Updated Edition
FORCING THESpring
The Transformation
of the American
Environmental
Movement
Robert Gottlieb
Washington • Covelo • London
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Copyright © 2005 Robert Gottlieb
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without per-
mission in writing from the publisher: Island Press, 1718 Connecticut Ave., Suite
300, NW, Washington, DC 20009.
ISLAND PRESS is a trademark of The Center for Resource Economics.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data.
Gottlieb, Robert, 1944–
Forcing the spring : the transformation of the American enviromental move-
ment / Robert Gottlieb.—Rev. and updated ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-55963-805-2 (acid-free paper) — ISBN 1-55963-832-X (pbk. : acid-
free paper)
1. Environmental policy—United States—History. 2. Green movement—
United States—History. I. title.
GE180.G68 2005
362.7'0525'0973—dc22
2005002445
British Cataloguing-in-Publication data available.
Printed on recycled, acid-free paper
Design by Brian Barth
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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To my kids:
Casey, with his love of the earth,
and Andie, with her passion for life
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C o n t e n t s
Preface to the Revised Edition xiii
Introduction to the Revised Edition:
The Next Environmentalism 1
Introduction:
Where We Live, Work, and Play 31
Part I: Complex Movements, Diverse Roots
Revisionist Histories, Revised Edition 43
Chapter 1
Resources and Recreation: The Limits of the Traditional Debate 47
A “Green Utopia”? 47
From Resource Exploitation to Resource Management 52
Nature Set Apart: The Search for Protection 60
Recreational Politics 63
The Technological Imperative 70
The Fight for Wilderness 76
Chapter 2
Urban and Industrial Roots: Seeking to Reform the System 83
Exploring the Dangerous Trades 83
The Environment of Daily Life in the Industrial City 88
Environmental Order: The Rise of the Professionals 92
Socializing Democracy: The Settlement Idea 97