Have you ever wanted to save a river from a dam or
pollution but felt frustrated by not knowing how to begin? David M.
Bolling effectively channels this passion in his book How to Save a
River: A Handbook for Citizen Action. Full of case studies from
successful fights to stop dams on rivers such as the Chama in New
Mexico and the California’s Toulumne, Bolling, a former executive
director of Friends of the River, guides activists step-by-step
from how to found a group through how to negotiate a solution. For
those unfamiliar with the nuts and bolts of environmental activism,
Bolling’s book also offers a glimpse into the work that is
necessary to become a successful grass-roots organizer. He
describes how to start a media campaign, lobby, and recruit
members. But Bolling says that any river crusader must first learn
about and develop an attachment to a river. “You make the choice
(to save a river) because the river has touched your life in an
intimate and irreversible way, because you are unwilling to accept
its loss.”
Island Press, 1718 Connecticut Ave.,
Suite 300, Washington, DC 20009. Paperback: $17 hardback: $35. 300
pages, photos, index.
* Bob
Wilson
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Save a river.
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