The Environmental Justice: William O. Douglass and American Conservation [Paperback]

Adam M. Sowards (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2009

From the late 1940s to the mid-1970s, American conservation politics underwent a transformation—and Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas (1898-1980) was at the heart of this shift toward modern environmentalism. The Environmental Justice explores how Douglas, inspired by his youthful experiences hiking in the Pacific Northwest, eventually used his influence to contribute to American conservation thought, politics, and law. Justice Douglas was one of the nation’s most passionate conservationists. He led public protests in favor of wilderness near Washington, D.C., along Washington State’s Pacific coast, and many places in between. He wrote eloquent testimonies to the value of wilderness and society’s increasing need for it, both in his popular books and in his heartfelt judicial opinions celebrating nature and condemning those who would destroy it. He worked tirelessly to secure stronger legal protections for the environment, coordinating with a national network of conservationists and policymakers. As a sitting Supreme Court Justice, Douglas brought prestige to the conservation crusades of the time and the enormous symbolic power of legal authority at a time when the nation’s laws did not favor environmental protection. He understood the need for national solutions that included public involvement and protections of minority interests; the issues were nationally important and the forces against preservation were strong. In myriad situations Douglas promoted democratic action for conservation, public monitoring of government and business activities, and stronger laws to ensure environmental and political integrity. His passion for the environment helped to shape the modern environmental movement. For the first time, The Environmental Justice tells this story.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

From the late 1940s to the mid-1970s, American conservation politics underwent a transformation—and Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas (1898-1980) was at the heart of this shift toward modern environmentalism. The Environmental Justice explores how Douglas, inspired by his youthful experiences hiking in the Pacific Northwest, eventually used his influence to contribute to American conservation thought, politics, and law.

About the Author

Adam M. Sowards is a professor of history at the University of Idaho. He holds a Ph.D. In history from Arizona State University and is the author of United States West Coast: An Environmental History.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Oregon State University Press (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870715674
• ISBN-13: 978-0870715679
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #748,580 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a readable and effective study, December 10, 2010

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BRC - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Environmental Justice: William O. Douglass and American Conservation (Paperback)

This is a readable and effective study of the role William Douglas played in mid-century environmental conservation, in large part while he was on the bench of the Supreme Court. More than that, though, this book provides a well-written view of changing passions for nature's open spaces from before WWII through the birth of the modern environmental movement by the 1970s. Douglas is not an entirely sympathetic character--he comes across as gruff, difficult to get along with, probably a bit irascible--but Sowards does a nice job of identifying these character traits. He then uses most of the book to explain how the Justice took the imprint of his childhood backyard in Washington State and expressed it through a consistent lifelong passion for trails and parks and mountains across America. (As someone from the mid-Atlantic who has walked parts of the C&O Canal trail many times, I was most interested to learn about the role Douglas played in protecting that trail from development.) Readers will learn about how Justice Douglas worked to conserve those spaces for the future through his personal advocacy and through his support on the bench for the rise of new environmental legislation into the 1970s. I'd say this book does what most good histories do, which is to bring a broader awareness of past figures and decisions to light. And in a clear and effective way.