The RIVERKEEPERS: Two Activists Fight to Reclaim Our Environment as a Basic Human Right

Rating:
Summary: It's a keeper!!
Review: This is a terrific book about the beginnings of environmental activism in this country. I read with glee the detailed description of the downfall of Con Ed's Storm King project on the Hudson River--the case that opened up the courts to environmentalists for the first time in history. The book also piqued my interest in Bob Boyle and his writings. My one criticism is that I would like to have seen maps of the Hudson River scattered throughout the text, since I wasn't familiar with all the locations mentioned. And some photos would have made it more interesting. Otherwise, it's an inspiring and informative environmental treatise.

Rating:
Summary: Should be mandatory reading for all politicians
Review: While the redundancies should have been edited out, the authors present a reasoned argument for the preservation of our natural resources.

Rating:
Summary: Timeless subject, brilliant interludes, flawed whole.
Review: Yes, you have read elsewhere that the authors' egos play too central a role in this documentary. Perhaps true. Nevertheless, the characters, the battles over the Hudson, and the Hudson itself are powerfully and vividly portrayed. The incredible numbers of examples of environmental abuse carried out by priviledged and powerful elements of society (whether corporate, governmental, or, in rarer cases, individual) are shocking and thought provoking. Even more shocking are the revelations of behind-the-scenes political scheming and public image manipulation by the perpetrators of environmental atrocities, and the readiness of some in society to accept these at face value. The 15-year effort by Con-Edison to irreversibly scar Storm King Mountain by building a water-pumping and energy-reclamation facility into its face is one particularly memorable example. The portrait which Cronin and Kennedy paint is that of the true welfare cheats of american society- those well-off enough to buy (usually at subsidized prices) wilderness (or wilderness access) from the public, multiply their fortunes by ruthlessly exploiting and destroying our environmental resources, AND, upon sucking the resource dry, saddling the public with every last consequence and cost of their pillage, all while actively harassing and slandering those who might question their methods, or advocate for the rights of the public whose environmental heritage is at risk. It is within this stark context that Cronin and Kennedy's stories emerge- the stories of the local fishermen, sportsmen, writers, and everyday people whose lives have been touched and filled by the majesty and beauty of nature around them, and who, because of direct threats to their natural surroundings (and sometimes, their families, health, and livelihoods) are drawn into struggles against extreme odds. These stories are the brilliant gems within the book that make it so worthwhile. Flaws and all, this is a book which all of my friends and family will receive as a stocking stuffer- beautiful stories, a little ego here and there, but nevertheless serious food for thought, and action.