Ecology and David Brower

Ecology Hall of Fame: David Brower

By Jessica King

“I'd like to declare open season on developers. Not kill them, just tranquilize them” (ActivistCash.com, 2007). This is a quote used fairly often by David Brower. Other quotes, such as, “"Childbearing [should be] a punishable crime against society, unless the parents hold a government license... All potential parents [should be] required to use contraceptive chemicals, the government issuing antidotes to citizens chosen for childbearing" (ActivistCash.com, 2007) really made Brower’s position regarding humans in opposition to the environment appallingly clear. He was a passionate human being, who fought for the environment and against technology. His passion was translated into action, as he fought to preserve ecology both physically and verbally. In one of his lectures, Brower claimed that the U.S. has 6% of the world’s population, yet we use 60% of the world’s resources. Furthermore, only 1% of Americans use that 60% of resources. This information that he gathered came from a friend who figured it out in his head. Brower said he believed his friend because it felt true to him. It was said that Brower’s passion and devotion came from believing in things that you cannot necessarily see. Before he passed in 2000, he was nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize. He was involved in many environmental organizations, such as Sierra Club, which he was an active participant in from 1952-1969. In addition, he created many of his own organizations, including League of Conservation Voters, Friends of the Earth, and Earth Island Institute. Brower had a tremendous global impact, and was an environmental leader of his time. He helped fight for some of the most significant natural wonders of our world, including The Grand Canyon. And although Brower did encounter many setbacks during his lifetime, he never lost sight of what was important to him, which was to fight to keep the world ecosystem alive.

I really enjoyed researching David Brower and his work. Sometimes it is nice to be reminded that one person can really impact the world. His passion is what drove him to work hard and fight hard for what he believed in. David Brower was truly an inspiration to many, including me!

References:

Carmin, J., Balser, D. (2002). Selecting Repertoires of Action in Environmental Movement Organizations. Organization & Environment, 15(4), 365-388.

Newman, D. (2006). Sociology: Exploring the everyday architecture of life. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Weiss, Don. (2002). Ecology Hall of Fame: David Brower. Retrieved March 22, 2007 from http://www.ecotopia.org/ehof/brower/bio.html.

ActivistCash.com. (2007). David Brower: Biography. Retrieved March 22, 2007 from http://www.activistcash.com/biography.cfm.