Ruin and Recovery: Michigan's Rise as a Conservation Leader

The book's rich history and insight serve as a subtle reminder that the environment really can be a nonpartisan issue after all, and after finishing the book you're definitely left with the sense that it will be again. An excellent and informative read.


A Political Science Assessment   August 1, 2001
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Dempsey is an activist affiliated with MUCC, Michigan United Conservation Clubs. He assigned himself the task of writing a comprehensive history of conservation and environmental politics in the Wolverine State. His title is apt: the overall trend is indeed ruin and then recovery. Ruin began with over-trapping for pelts, for fish, for copper, for iron, and for timber. The recovery was painful and required a different attitude toward resources and the vulnerability of nature. Only one governor gets his nod as a champion of the environment, viz. William G. Milliken, and no others. We are presently is a third wave of reexploitation under John Engler. We are slipping back into bad habits of allowing pollution-by-dilution. Then why did he did he use the subtitle of "Michigan's Rise as a Conservation Leader"? Because of advocacy by interest groups and individuals ranging from Thomas Anderson to Mark Wycoff and from Audubon to EMEAC and WMEAC. Some corporations come in for positive evaluation. Such as Herman Miller Company of Zeeland. The overall story is not presented in black and white, but is subtle and recognizes the role of current culture. The vignettes of conservation-leaders including Thomas L. Washington, of his own group, are balanced. The documentation is superb and is informed by -Aldo Leopold, Dunbar, Catton and especially Sam Hayes. Criticisms include no maps, a Lower Peninsula bias and listing only one web site. Topics not covered include the Rouge River cleanup, NAFTA and incoming garbage, deep-well injection, nuclear energy mishaps, acid rain, slant drilling, and mine-exit strategy and the Seney National WLP. The book covers new ground, is competently researched, interesting and relevant, a model for other state case studies. The hard-back copy belongs in every public library as a compliment to Dunbar's state history and Lawrence Sommer's State of Michigan geography.


Real Problems, Real Solutions, Real People   July 23, 2001
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Dempsey's highly readable history of Michigan's environmental ups and downs is an excellent motivator. He shows us vivid examples of how the short term economics of business will harvest a resource until it is gone; cut down every tree and catch every whitefish. His reporting shows how industrial companies will dump their waste on anyone who is unaware or unconcerned (remember PBBs, PCBs, mercury and Dioxin?). He also shows us how concerned, active people have successfully fought and won battle after battle with political machines, unconcerned companies and unaware publics. Without these peoples' efforts we would have dirtier air, fouler water and an alphabet soup of contamination. Dempsey also gives us a good outline of the currently critical environmental issues of ecosystem preservation and land use planning. If you want to be motivated and and to feel that you can be part of a solution, this book is for you.

Also, if you want to know what to look for in your cantidates for political office Dempsey's information about Milliken, Blanchard and Engler is, alone, worth the price of the book.


How can so much information be so entertaining?   July 11, 2001
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

This book is a must read for anyone the slightest bit interested in the Great Lakes, Michigan or the environment in general. Each page is choked with facts and history but is presented in a readable format that could almost be described as a "page turner." Dempsey's interest in the subject matter is contagious and obvious. He takes you into each era and you can see for yourself the evolution of what we now call the "environmental movement." More importantly perhaps, he makes you see that we still have a long way to go but that our concern and involvement is is necessary.