Toward Unity Among Environmentalists

Today six out of ten Americans describe themselves as active environmentalists or as sympathetic to the movement's concerns. The movement in turn reflects this millions-strong support in its diversity encompassing a wide spectrum of causes groups and sometimes conflicting special interests. For far-sighted activists and policy makers the question is how this diversity affects the ability to achieve key goals in the battle against pollution erosion and out-of-control growth. This insightful book offers an overview of the movement -- its past as well as its present -- and issues the most persuasive call yet for a unified approach to solving environmental problems. Focusing on examples from resource use pollution control protection of species and habitats and land use the author shows how the dynamics of diversity have actually hindered environmentalists in the past butalso how a convergence of these interests around forward-looking policies can be effected despite variance in value systems espoused. The book is thus not only an assessment of today's movement but a blueprint for action that can help pull together many different concerns under a common banner. Anyone interested in environmental issues and active approaches to their solution will find the author's observations both astute and creative.