Speth - Angels by the river : a memoir

Praise for Angels by the River

A longtime friend and ally, Gus Speth is a tireless advocate for the environment. His accumulated stories and knowledge, the kind that could only come from decades of experience at the highest levels, provide a unique and insightful look into our history, and the way forward from here.

Al Gore , former vice president of the United States

Speths story is a moving, well-told tale of transcendence: from a segregated southern town, to the forefront of the environmental struggle, to a new understanding of the deep changes we need to put our nation on a just and livable path. A critical book for change agents, young and old.

Van Jones , author of Rebuild the Dream and Th e Green Collar Econo my

Angels by the Ri ver does what the best memoirs hope to dolaunch the reader into a larger collective story. Gus Speth, a native son of the Deep South, has spent his life in the service of justice. He has not only been part of Americas social and environmental history, but his leadership has helped shape it. This book is a testament to spirited engagement, showing us how the gift of having a cause beyond ourselves can translate to personal and political transformation. Angels by the Ri ver is an antidote against despair and a prayer for action.

Terry Tempest Williams , author of The Open Space of Democracy

Gus Speth is the great environmentalist of our age, and this book chronicles not just his lifes journey, but his minds. It will make you think anew about many things, including where change comes from!

Bill McKibben , author of Wander ing Home and founder of 350.org

Gus Speth offers the gift of his own struggle to confront the systemic challenge we face as an example to anyone, young or old, seeking to find a new and possible way forward. His deeply thoughtful book is marvelous, hopeful, and above all life-affirming.

Gar Alperovitz , cofounder of The Democracy Collaborative and author of What Then M ust We Do?

This book is a true gem. While guiding us through the remarkable currents of his life, Gus Speth thrills us with the breadth of his thinking and the depths of his insights. His voice is absolutely essential when it comes to the environment. And he is never less than compelling as he makes the case for transformational change on any number of other important issues, from our obsession with economic growth to US policy in the Middle East.

Bob Herbert , distinguished senior fellow at Demos and former op-ed columnist for the New York Times

I have been fortunate to know this remarkable man, and now readers can, too. I urge you to accompany Gus Speth through his early life in the segregated South, the liberal North, the heady days of the environmental movement, and his disenchantment with inside-the-system fixes. You will find the journey engrossing, eye opening, inspiring, and deeply moving.

Juliet Schor , cofounder of the Center for a New American Dream and author of True Wealth

You will not soon read a better or more instructive memoira profoundly wise reflection on a life dedicated to solving the largest challenges of our time written by an insider who grew into a radical in the best sense of the word.

David W. Orr , counselor to the president of Oberlin College and Steven Minter Fellow, the Cleveland Foundation

Angels by the River is a personal look at the forces that shaped one of Americas great environmental leaders and climate activists. Gus doesnt shy away from the dangers of climate change, but he maintains an enduring faith that people can and will make the difference. This book will engage, enlighten, and spur readers to actionjust as Gus has inspired so many of us with his commitment and drive.

Frances Beinecke , president of the Natural Resources Defense Council

Copyright 2014 by James Gustave Speth.

All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all photographs have been provided by the author.

Photograph on page 72 copyright 2014 by The Associated Press.

No part of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form by any means without permission in writing from the publisher.

Editor: Joni Praded

Project Manager: Bill Bokermann

Copy Editor: Deborah Heimann

Proofreader: Helen Walden

Indexer: Shana Milkie

Designer: Melissa Jacobson

Printed in The United States of America.

First printing October, 2014.

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Our Commitment to Green Publishing

Chelsea Green sees publishing as a tool for cultural change and ecological stewardship. We strive to align our book manufacturing practices with our editorial mission and to reduce the impact of our business enterprise in the environment. We print our books and catalogs on chlorine-free recycled paper, using vegetable-based inks whenever possible. This book may cost slightly more because it was printed on paper that contains recycled fiber, and we hope youll agree that its worth it. Chelsea Green is a member of the Green Press Initiative ( www.greenpressinitiative.org ), a nonprofit coalition of publishers, manufacturers, and authors working to protect the worlds endangered forests and conserve natural resources. Angels by the River was printed on paper supplied by Thomson-Shore that contains 100% postconsumer recycled fiber.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Speth, James Gustave.

Angels by the river : a memoir of sorts / James Gustave Speth.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-60358-585-9 (hardback) -- ISBN 978-1-60358-586-6 (ebook)

1. Speth, James Gustave. 2. Environmentalists--United States--Biography. 3. Civil rights movements--Southern States--History. 4. Agriculture--Social aspects--Southern States--History. 5. Orangeburg (S.C.)--Biography. 6. Orangeburg (S.C.)--Race relations--History--20th century. 7. Deans (Education)--Connecticut--New Haven--Biography. 8.

Yale University. School of Forestry and Environmental Studies--Biography. 9. Radicals--United States--Biography. 10. Social change--United States--Philosophy. I. Title.

GE56.S69A3 2014

363.70092--dc23

[B]

2014027808

Chelsea Green Publishing

85 North Main Street, Suite 120

White River Junction, VT 05001

(802) 295-6300

www.chelseagreen.com

For Catherine, Jim, and Charlie

Contents

Preface

I went into these woods to find myself and retrace some of the life Ive lived, accounting for it along the way. I wanted to explore what became of the youngster born in the Deep South in 1942 and what became of the causes he pursued. And I sought to recapture a time and place now drifting away and to recall the people who have been the angels along the river of my life.

Often as I was writing this book, I stopped, stymied by the question: Who in the world would want to read a book about me? I have been sustained by the answer that while the pages ahead are about me, they mainly relate my personal participation in and perspective on several larger and very important developments occurring over the period since 1950. For example, I tell the story of how a group of us came together in 1970 to launch the Natural Resources Defense Council, now one of Americas premier environmental organizations. And then I look beyond our founding of NRDC and address what has happened since the first Earth Day to the American environmentalism of which NRDC has been a leading part.

In this way I hope the book will be informative and helpful. America now finds itself in a sea of troubles. If we are to chart a course to a better place, we should understand how that happened. I think the stories I tell here provide insight in that exploration. I have spent a large portion of my time in recent yearstalks, interviews, writingstrying to encourage others, especially young people, to join me politically at or near the place to which I have arrived, wherever they may have started. Perhaps telling the story of my journey at a more personal level will help with this encouragement.