Lifelines: The Case For River Conservation,Used

From Library Journal Intending to fill the gap between his previous books, Endangered Rivers and the Conservation Movement (LJ 2/15/87) and The Wild and Scenic Rivers of America (LJ 8/93), Palmer presents the "fundamental case for the preservation and intelligent management of our rivers." With 24 years of experience in river conservation, Palmer is passionate in his attempt to increase our awareness; he uses many examples and statistics to stress the importance of rivers and the threats they face. He covers issues such as the salmon population (the only endangered species that can be bought in the grocery store), water quality, hydropower, riparian habitats, and ecosystems. Although the number of statistics makes reading somewhat tedious, this book is recommended for larger public as well as academic environmental collections.Teresa Berry, Univ. of Tennessee Lib., KnoxvilleCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. Product Description Describes the ecology of streams and stresses their impact on the greater environment From Booklist The prolific Palmer links history (Endangered Rivers and the Conservation Movement, 1986) to new legislation (Wild and Scenic Rivers of America, 1993) in a book that seeks to define the values of and threats to preservation of the nation's diminishing river legacy. Though the federal government no longer builds huge dams as a symbol of our engineering prowess, the myth of hydropower remains a threat. Twenty years after passage of the 1972 Clean Water Act, municipal sewage and conventional industrial discharges are handled better, but toxic wastes and polluted runoff are a major concern. The river conservation movement has become more sophisticated, recognizing that we need to conserve natural rivers not just because of their beauty and majesty but because of the broad ecological impact of river degradation. Palmer's recommended actions are economically realistic (enforcing existing laws, changes in subsidies and tax incentives), but will be politically challenging (only strong public support can overcome the opposition of those who profit from treating rivers as sewers). An enlightening, energizing study; includes photos, sources, and a list of groups involved in protecting the nation's rivers. Mary Carroll About the Author Tim Palmer is the author and photographer of 23 books about rivers, the environment, adventure travel, and the American landscape. His Island Press titles include The Sierra Nevada: A Mountain Journey (1988), The Snake River: Window to the West (1991), California's Threatened Environment (1993), The Wild and Scenic Rivers of America (1993), Lifelines: The Case for River Conservation (1994), America by Rivers (1996), The Heart of America: Our Landscape, Our Future (1999, winner of the Independent Publishers Award), and Pacific High: Adventures in the Coast Ranges from Baja to Alaska (2002, finalist for the Benjamin Franklin Book Award). Tim is the recipient of the National Outdoor Book Award, Lifetime Achievement Award from American Rivers, and Conservation Achievement Award for Communications from the National Wildlife Federation. He frequently speaks and presents slide programs for public audiences and college classes nationwide. Learn more at www.timpalmer.org.