Arctic Refuge: A Circle of Testimony (The World As Home) [Paperback]

Hank Lentfer (Editor), Carolyn Servid (Editor), Debbie S. Miller (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 9, 2001 | Series: The World As Home

Originally presented to Congress on March 28, 2001, this book brings together the latest word from key conservation leaders as well as firsthand accounts by Alaska residents on how they and neighboring wildlife would be affected should oil drilling proceed according to current plans. The book includes original pieces by Jimmy Carter, Wendell Berry, Barry Lopez, Bill McKibben, Scott Russell Sanders, Rick Bass, and Terry Tempest Williams. All royalties from sales of Arctic Refuge — and an additional contribution from Milkweed Editions — will go to the Alaska Conservation Foundation.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Yoking an activist desire to influence the debate surrounding proposed oil exploration and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to the rapid publication now possible with e-book technology, Alaska residents Lentfer and Servid solicited, compiled and completed this powerful collection of 31 essays, letters and poems in eight weeks. The contributors, who range "from global leaders to nomadic hunters," attest to the ecological diversity and spiritual sanctity of the 18 million-acre wilderness, home to caribou, bears, wolves, eagles, wolverines, foxes and ravens, and the 15 villages of the Gwich'in Indians. The most piercing entries range from a brief, plainspoken "Letter to the President" by conservationist Margaret Murie (whose efforts led to the formation of the refuge in 1960) to the hope of a Gwich'in woman, Faith Gemmill, that her children will take their sustenance from the caribou and "listen to traditional teachings in their own traditional language," as she has. Wildlife biologist Bill Sherwonit lyrically describes the habits of pregnant polar bears, while Bill McKibben warns that an "oil spill may not happen in [the Refuge], but it will definitely happen in the atmosphere" when any extracted oil is burned, and Barry Lopez eloquently suggests that we must reign in the adolescent impulses that fuel our consumer economy if we are to solve the dilemmas posed by our ravenous oil consumption.joint effort with the Alaska Wilderness League, this e-book precedes a trade edition coming in June (Milkweed, $15 paper ISBN 1-57131-264-1).n

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: Milkweed Editions; First Edition edition (August 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571312641
• ISBN-13: 978-1571312648
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,545,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Drilling in the biological heart of the Arctic Refuge, August 5, 2001

By 

Charles M. Nobles (Tulsa, OK United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Arctic Refuge: A Circle of Testimony (The World As Home) (Paperback)

The president and vice-president along with the House of Representatives and a host of unindicted co-conspirators in the oil industry have proposed to explore and drill in a pristine 1.5 million-acre coastal plain in northeast Alaska. It is the calving grounds for the Porcupine River caribou head; a critical onshore polar bear denning area; one of the last available ranges for wolves, numerous fish and other wildlife and, as importantly, home to the Gwich'in Indian tribe which depends on the caribou for food, clothing and spiritual needs. This area has been described as the biological heart of the Arctic Refuge. The book is a collection of essays dealing with the dangers of drilling in ANWR written by some of the best and brightest individuals addressing the issue. There are radicals and prgmatists, advocates and experts, wildlife biologists, Native Americans, environmentalists, and former workers in the Alaskan oil industry. Contributors include Jimmy Carter, Barry Lopez, Rick Bass, WEndell Berry, Bill McKibben, Art Davidson and 25 other thinkers and doers that will make you wonder about not only this proposal but our so-called energy policy in the U.S. Jimmy Carter gives a presidentail perspective on the importance of preserving the Refuge which was created under republican president Eisenhower in 1960. R. Glendon Brunk writes of his experiences working on the north slope and tells of the effects of such oil exploration and drilling on the environment which is chilling and perhaps prophetic for ANWR. Faith Gemmill has a moving essay on the religious importance of the caribou to the Gwich'in Tribe and culture. I will not soon forget Sarah James recounting of British Petroleum's sensitivity to the Gwich'in tribes concerns: "It is inevitable that these Gwich'in people will have to change." Kim Heacox writes of Stephen Ambrose's visit to Alaska and his position that restoration of nature must be the theme of the 21st century. Not exactly a tree-hugging, radical this Ambrose guy. The book is important not only for its defense of ANWR but for the proposition that it is truly time to begin moving toward a sustainable energy policy in the U.S. Issues such as global warming, the need to preserve this tryly magnificent place, and the possibilities for a sustainable energy policy are all included. It is a perfect example of environmental issues being more that political issues. There are cultural, artistic and historic issues and this book will provide the reader with a wide range of ideas and proposals from many who view the world through other than political, or profiteering, lenses. There are no scare tactics or doomsday predictions here. Just an attempt to give a voice to a place that relatively few Americans know or have visited but is worth saving for future generations looking for one of the last best places. This is one of the most important books of the year. Highly recommended. Milkweed Editions is to be commended for making it available at such a reasonable cost and in a most timely manner.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't Waste Your Time or Money, December 16, 2008

By 

Eric Goldman (Mountain View, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Arctic Refuge: A Circle of Testimony (The World As Home) (Paperback)

This book is a collection of short essays written by a wide variety of folks in response to the threat of oil development in the Refuge. The idea was to package up a bunch of statements against drilling or in praise of the wilderness value of the Refuge and present the collection to Congress. Perhaps this collection of essays has some historical value, but it has not aged well. Instead, I mostly found it worthless. A number of essays were written by people who have never been to the Refuge, and most of them are filled with redundant preachiness and philosophizing. Don't waste your time with this book. Not recommended.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Send this book to everyone!, December 2, 2001

By 

Cather-lover (The Plains, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arctic Refuge: A Circle of Testimony (The World As Home) (Paperback)

For those of us who are passionate about saving the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge this book presents our best arguements -the stories are from the heart and the mind, and address so eloquently the importance of the fight we are waging. For those who are unsure about the current fight over oil exploration and oil drilling this is a must read - the words here explain why there is no such thing as safe oil drilling because it is the human imprinting that will destroy this sanctuary. Buy the book for friends and use it to encourage support for the continued protection of "America's Serengeti."