Synopses & Reviews
In this compelling book, which Bill McKibben calls the most comprehensive account available of the state of our nations oceans, and the best reporting on how they got that way,” veteran journalist David Helvarg fuses his passion for the sea and his reportorial savvy into a panoramic chronicle of Americas maritime history and the challenges that our coastal and marine environments face today. He dives deep into the cultures of those who know the sea in myriad waysfisherfolk, oil-rig roughnecks, hurricane forecasters, coastal developers, navy personnel, scientists, and surfersand profiles the growing efforts by coastal citizens and local governments to restore and protect the health of our oceans in the face of wide-open development along our coasts and offshore. Demonstrating how national policymaking on the oceans is enmeshed in a welter of competing jurisdictions, he argues for strong omnibus legislation and the creation of truly protected marine wilderness reserves.
Superbly researched, urgently written, and thoroughly updated, Blue Frontier is engrossing and essential reading for anyone concerned about saving Americas ocean wilderness.
Review
"An infuriating portrayal of mankind's most breathtaking crime, the destruction of the oceans that birthed our species."
Review
"Helvarg has seamlessly updated his immensely readable texts...Helvarg's love for the sea and its natural inhabitants pervades the text, giving his precise catalog of enviornmental horrors an affecting poetic streak and a closing note of optimism, as he discusses marine sanctuaries and ongoing grassroots efforts to rehabilitate damaged coasts and preserve healthy ones...this is a thorough examination of the ecological crisis in progress."
About the Author
David Helvarg has written many articles for major print media and commentaries for public radio, and he has produced award-winning documentaries for PBS, Discovery, and A&E. His books include The War Against the Greens. He is the founder and director of the Blue Frontier Campaign.