Raymond F. Dasmann "The Destruction of California."
A balanced look at environmental issues, this time focusing on the future of California. A San Francisco native, he advocates growth planning and management that includes industry and business along with land preservation. However, Ray pulls no punches when discussing businesses and circumstances that create irreversible damage to our environment, such as industrial pollution of air and water and overpopulation. He does not offer opposing views to such topics. Ray’s writing is easy to read for non-scientists. A major theme in his life was encouraging individuals to become involved with environmental preservation on a local level, to not just trust politicians and industry to do what is right for city, state, country, etc. Indeed, he is one of the first “think globally, act locally” activists, predating this phrase by at least a generation. He strove to make us all responsible for our environment.
Dasmann was born in San Francisco, in an era when there were few cars, the neighborhoods were pleasant, and men, women, and children felt perfectly safe, day or night, almost everywhere. He was cursed to be born whilst the fossil energy blip was skyrocketing toward its climax, creating a bewildering whirlwind of immense change. Young folks perceived the whirlwind to be normal, while older folks remembered better times, and were sickened by the senseless destruction, and the profound decay of society.
He wrote "The Destruction of California" when he was 45. During his lifetime, the state’s population had grown six fold, spurred by a tsunami of immigration. In the book, he described the various crises that were propelling the state toward disaster. He wanted people to better understand the consequences of perpetual growth.
Early visitors to California were overwhelmed by the incredible abundance of wildlife. Portions of the Central Valley looked like the Serengeti — herds of tule elk, pronghorn antelope, and black-tailed deer. There were many wetlands. “Here were birds in the tens of millions that darkened the sky when migrations sent them winging northward.” In 1852, a man in Humboldt sat on a hill and observed 40 grizzly bears below. The swarm of gold digging crazy people inspired other crazy people to get into the meat business via full-scale industrial hunting. By 1910, the wildlife was in tatters.
Crazy people also became giddy with greed at the sight of 4.000 year old redwoods, 27 feet (8 m) in diameter. They sharpened their axes and went wacko. Profits were invested in technology that enabled them to cut more and more. There was no plan to leave anything for future generations. The plan was to make as much money as possible, as fast as possible. Floods washed away highways, bridges, and entire communities. Fish perished in the silt-choked streams. When Dasmann was writing, it looked like the old growth would be gone.
Collier Books.
ASIN: ‎B000VAOH3U.
Paperback. 1971.
New book. Very minor shelf wear from rubbing.